She Wasn't Alone
by Keroanne
Summary: Malina is Princess Zelda's daughter, the daughter of a now dead queen. She doesn't know about the dark past of Hyrule and for now wanders absently in innocence. Yet, all peace cannot last and the book will now be opened... OoT
1. Songs of Serenity

**A/N- Okay, no matter how many reviews I get on this, I'm reviewing whenever I feel like it. And also, if you haven't read Link Was Alone or Zelda Was Alone, I would strongly suggest that you read that. However, you don't have to.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda, Stay Gold, or In the Forest of Sky.**

Malina jumped off the horse, her blue eyes tired. She was done with riding her horse, so tired of it. The seven-year-old glanced at the tree and smiled softly. Impa was there, just as she had suspected. Upon being seen, the middle aged woman jumped down from where she had been atop the tree. Malina put one hand on her hip before softly speaking to Impa.

"Can I not be alone for five minutes? It is such a burden to be watched over every day, constantly." Some people would have been amazed at the girl's vocabulary, but the elder woman was not impressed by the younger's choice of words. This seven-year-old-girl was, after all, Princess of Hyrule.

"No, you cannot be left alone, your highness. You are the one and only heir to the throne. You have no family left, so we would have to let the next greatest noble take the throne and I could never allow someone as yourself to leave this world and let a fool as Lord Jine take the throne. It would be like _trying _to destroy all of Hyrule." Malina giggled at this.

"I suppose that is true, Impa. If it weren't for this simple fact you can expect that I'd be more left alone, yes?" The girl asked this hopefully, as though wondering what her life would be like if she had a family. Impa smiled softly at the younger girl and agreed, not wanting to crush her young dreams.

Malina sat down and looked up at Impa. "Mistress Impa? May I ask a question that has been bothering me for quite a while now?" The elder smiled and nodded. Malina began nervously twirling her dress while she asked.

"Mistress Impa, might I know whatever... whatever happened to my parents? And who my father was? Everyone else seems to know, but I do not. I also have a feeling that I'm the only one that really needs to know. Please, Mistress Impa, will you tell me?" Impa sighed, knowing that it was only a matter of time until the Princess asked that question.

"I'm sorry, Princess. It is not my place to tell you that, or at least not right now. I hope you do understand. It is something that you ought to know when you are older." Malina sighed upon hearing this; it was the exact response that she had hoped not to receive.

Malina pushed her light brown hair out of her face and pulled her boots off, wiggling her toes happily. The moss and mud felt wonderful in between her toes. Impa sighed at the young princess, who seemed to hate being in the castle and love being out in the woods and Hyrule Field. She was very different from Princess Zelda.

Lait, Malina's horse, nudged the Princess, causing her to fall over. "Lait!" Malina cried, laughing at the same time. "What in the world are you doing?! Get off!" The horse ignored her and started pushing the small girl around. It was true, she was tiny for her age. Not that Malina seemed to mind.

Finally, after giving Lait some berries, the horse stopped bothering her. Malina sat up slowly, her hair now in every which way. She looked sleepily around and blinked in surprise as she looked to the west.

There was a gorgeous sunset that spread all across Hyrule Field with blazing orange, sunshine yellow, blood red, shell pink, and even night violet. It was one of the most amazing things that the young princess had ever seen. Malina glanced up at Impa, who was smiling as she gazed upon it. Malina did the same.

However, because Malina was still but a child, she could not sit very still for very long. Impa picked the child up and put her on the horse. Malina smiled and had Lait begin walking back to the castle. Impa watched the younger girl before following.

* * *

Malina combed her already silky hair and pulled the small ribbon from her drawers. You may be wondering why a servant didn't just do it for her. Well, she had ordered all of them not to touch her. Malina did not like people touching her for some reason. No one really understood why, but she was the Princess so they had to follow her command.

Malina looked at herself in the mirror while tying her hair up. Her light brown hair went just past her shoulders and she was slightly pale from all the time that she had spent inside, learning about the right way to do everything. Malina had a slightly ruddy nose that was dotted with a few freckles. There was one thing that she liked about herself, though. Her bright, sky-blue eyes

Now that the pink ribbon was safely in her hair, Malina could get changed. She reached around her back and grabbed hold of one of the brass buttons. She pulled each one out slowly, as though afraid that they would break off.

As Malina finally got undressed, she walked over to the bath that she had been filling up. She got in, the steam filling every pore of her body. Malina smiled at this and slumped into the bath water even further until she breathed only through her nose. At one point she sat up and poured some lavender scented oil in.

As I mentioned before, Malina's hair was already silky. You may be wondering why she would take a bath if she were clean. Well, she loved taking baths almost as much as she loved her horse. Which is quite a lot, might I add.

After a half-hour or so, Princess Malina got out and began drying herself with a towel. Everyone said that if she was alone for a week that she would be fine. In fact, a few months ago everyone in the castle took a day off to see how well the Princess would cope. As it turns out, she was absolutely fine and hadn't even noticed that anybody had left besides Impa.

Malina glanced down at her nightgown. It had small, blue birds all over it and on the bottom had a small design that included flowers. She smiled and looked up slowly. She walked slowly over to the window and sat in the sill, singing softly one of her favorite songs.

"Time has stopped, in the forest of light and sky,

And the wind moves, with a faint murmuring,"

"Look, the lake shining brightly

Is the mirror reflecting

What was lost that day..."

"I kept searching for the place where I first had that feeling,

Does it still sway on the other side of the light?

Surely happiness and sadness feel similar,

So close your eyes in your heart, and quietly embrace the sky."

"There is nobody here, during the afternoon of light and sky,

My lips were trembling, from the kiss of the wind."

"Look, the sun swaying and shining brightly through the trees

Knits together the light and shadow,

Like a lacework pattern."

"I kept crying, at the place where my feeling sleeps.

Is it disappearing now, within the green trees?

Surely "Goodbye" is the start of my memory.

Unlock my heart, and quietly embrace the forest."

"I see that you've been practicing, Princess," Impa murmured, walking quietly up to the younger girl. "But shouldn't you be sleeping? You have another big day in front of you tomorrow. You're going to meet the townsfolk and learn of their problems and that takes a lot of patience, which usually requires sleep."

Malina smiled and nodded, still staring at the moon. It was quite nearly full. It was tomorrow or the next day that it would be full. She could wait that long.

Every time the moon was full, Malina swore that she could see her mother's face in the moon. So she waited impatiently for the full moon. Malina usually fairly unwilling to go to bed, so this was a slight surprise for Impa. However, it was a good one.

Malina snuggled into her covers happily and looked sleepily up at Impa. "Mistress Impa? Will you play me that song? The one that you made for me?" Impa nodded and brought her ocarina out, her eyes soft on the old thing. It reminded her of him... the Hero who had died just five years ago, on the same day of dear Princess Zelda's death.

Impa brought the ocarina to her lips and began playing. Malina began softly singing the words that she had made up to go with the song, dreaming about her parents.

"They say that change is

A fundamental part of the human heart"

"But darling, your soul

It will continue to shine so kindly

Because I love you

You don't ever have to worry

My darling, stay gold"

"Please keep smiling with innocence

Everyday..."

Malina drifted off into sleep and Impa brushed her hair out of her face. She smiled and sang the song softly back to the girl. It seemed to fit her well.

Impa stood up and left the young, sleeping girl, still singing the last few lines softly.

**A/N- This story should be interesting to write. Please, R&R. I'll probably update faster if you do that.**


	2. Interesting Birthdays

**A/N- ****Thanks for the review, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule... I have nothing better to do, so I'm writing some more on this one.**

**Disclaimer- Yo, do ya think I own Zelda?**

Malina sniffed the air and promptly sneezed. "I don't get it!" She started complaining again. "It's just my tenth birthday. Why is it so important that I appear to be the Princess that everyone knows that I'm not. It doesn't seem right, Mistress Impa."

Impa sighed at the Princess. Everyday, she seemed to be getting more and more defiant, and less and less wanting to be a pretty princess that ruled over the land justly. Today was the young Princess's birthday, and if she had a choice, she would probably be outside learning how to use a bow and arrow, or even perhaps a sword.

Impa put Malina's hair up in the ribbon that she had kept all those years. It had been from her mother, on the Princess's first birthday. She had kept it all this time so that she would have something in memory of her mother.

"Mistress Impa, will you play me it again? I'm starting to get nervous in front of all those people... ugh, I hate talking to all those people..." Malina shivered at the thought of being in front of all those people and having to speak to them. "Please, Impa..."

Impa brought her ocarina out, slight amusement on her face. "I swear, half of the time you only get out of bed to hear this song. Now be quiet, Princess." Impa began playing and Malina tried to restrain herself from singing along. It was, after all, her favorite song. After a moment, Impa stopped playing.

"Now, Princess. Are you ready? If you aren't, I'm afraid that it's too late to run away." Impa smiled gently at Malina, who sighed softly at this.

"I suppose that I have no choice by this point. After today, I will have much more restricted times, yes? I'm going to start truly learning how to rule this country, even if I do not wish to." Malina spoke just as softly as she had sighed. Impa placed a hand about the girl's shoulders.

"Do not worry. You shall do perfect."

* * *

Daysin glanced around the throne room, amazement in his eyes. They had told him that it was large, but he had not expected it to be that big. He brushed his dark brown hair out of his red colored eyes, a slight smile on his face. The thirteen-year-old was quite pleased that anyone could get into the palace tonight, including a peasant as himself.

"Hey, Day." Lord Jine said with slight amusement as he walked up to the young boy. Lord Jine was nearly thirty and you could trust him pretty much as far as you could throw him. And this man certainly wasn't underweight. Nor was he just right. He had mud brown hair and crystal blue eyes that said that he was fairly intelligent.

"Lord Jine!" Daysin cried, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I am truly honored to have such an amazing and wonderful man even look at me! But to speak to me!" Lord Jine rolled his eyes at the young boy, sighing.

"Of course, what else would I expect from a boy as yourself? Now, tell me what you're really doing here, and don't just say that you're here for the Princess's birthday." Lord Jine took another swig of ale after saying this. Daysin looked in disgust at the man in front of him.

"You're going to kill yourself with all that ale. And the way that it dribbles down your frizzy little beard... you are certainly a disgusting man." Normally, people could be thrown in the dungeon for saying things as such. However, Daysin and his father had done quite a few things for this man, not entirely honest things, might I add, but because of this fact, Daysin was allowed to say whatever he wanted to the man in front of him.

"Don't change the subject, boy." Lord Jine murmured, feeling the affects of the alcohol beginning to take effect.

"Of course, O Lord and Master of Mine!" Daysin said, sarcasm still written all across his voice. "If you must know, I actually am just here to see the Princess. Maybe steal a few things from her room the moment that she's gone, but nothing too valuable. I'm just here for the show." Lord Jine raised one eyebrow, still mostly sober.

"What sort of show are we talking about, here? Arrest worthy, death worthy, or maybe just an innocent trick?" Daysin laughed, a glimmer in his dark eyes that showed nothing. Lord Jine suddenly felt rather nervous.

"You'll have to see yourself, old man. It's not my doing, I just heard about it in the tavern. Oh, and I'm supplying the, erm, distraction. It's hard to really do all this without revealing our entire plan to you. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you right now, if you must know."

"If you say so... but, where is your father, Tura? Is he alright?" Daysin glared at the chubby man, his red eyes glowing like embers.

"Two things. One, what do you care about my father? On multiple occasions, he nearly died and you thought nothing of it. And secondly, don't call me that stupid, mother given name! I hate it more than I hate you." Daysin turned from Lord Jine and made his way through the crowd. Where? Anywhere besides being next to that man.

Lord Jine felt a slight smile come to his lips. A devious, evil one. He could always catch the boy later. That was not of importance.

* * *

Malina walked into the room, her face red. The trumpets began blaring, announcing that the young, royal lady had just entered the room. Of course, if it had been up to her, she would have come in silently and had a seat on her royal throne. However, the world just wouldn't allow that.

The moment people began seeing her, they started bowing and curtsying and all that annoying stuff. They made a pathway through themselves and Malina pouted as she walked up there. Being a princess was annoying and terribly dull. She would have preferred to be farm girl, or even perhaps a maid. Anything but what she was.

Princess Malina looked in back of herself. Impa would be joining her the moment that the Princess seated her royal bottom on her royal throne. But for the moment, she felt alone and unprotected. Which was slightly true. However, Impa was about to get a little busy.

"Excuse me, but are you Mistress Impa?" A boy with red eyes asked the woman. Impa glanced in surprise at him. She nodded slowly and smiled at the boy's innocent look.

"Yes, I am. Why?" The boy smiled happily, as though he had no cares in the world. Impa noticed this and thought that it was a bit... suspicious. She felt that she couldn't trust this boy one bit. And she was right.

"Open the horse." Was his answer. Impa's eyes widened at that and she turned to see if Malina was okay. Daysin slipped back into the crowd, his eyes full of darkness.

Princess Malina blinked in surprise as a man jumped out at her. The crowd erupted in shouts and gasps. Malina, however, merely sidestepped the man, a frown etched on her face. She grabbed both of his hands and held them behind his back. Malina took two fingers and pressed them on the man's neck, hitting pressure points. He was promptly knocked out.

Another man jumped at her, holding a knife. He tried to tackle her, but Malina bent backwards, sending him flying over her and on top of another man who had tried to attack her from behind. By that point, Impa grabbed both of the men and promptly kicked them in the neck, breaking them.

"Well, I must say, that put a slight bit of excitement on my boring old birthday." Malina said happily, clapping her hands together. "Wouldn't you say so, Mistress Impa?" Impa sighed in exasperation at her.

"Personally, I'd rather not have any more excitement on your birthday. Guards! Come dispose of these bodies and find out who this one is working for." Impa pointed to the man that was still alive after that time.

"Yes, ma'am!" They all said at the same time, scampering over to get everything. The only person that seemed sad that it was all over was Malina. In fact, she seemed rather disappointed.

"I do suppose that this means that I'll still have to give that long and tedious speech, won't I, Mistress Impa?" Malina asked Impa sadly. The Sheikah woman stared at her a moment before groaning in exasperation.

"Yes, Princess, it does."

* * *

Lord Jine walked over to Daysin, who was sipping some water in a corner. "What in the world happened just now, boy?!" Jine demanded. "You better tell me soon if not right now." Daysin smiled that creepy smiled of his, one that barely parted his lips.

"It's called seeing what goes on with the Princess. My new master wanted to know about her skills in defensive art. True, it will be a few years before he'll actually attack her, but still. He had me gather some men that would certainly fail any plan that we put them to, such as killing the Princess. I'll go back to him later tonight and report."

Lord Jine's jaw dropped. Daysin had a new master? He had vowed never to get caught up in those things again. And... who was this master?

"Daysin, who is this new master of yours?! I must know!" Lord Jine cried, shaking the red eyed boy's shoulders. Daysin shrugged him off, closing his eyes and keeping his back turned to the portly man.

"Well, if you must know, his name is... is Vaati." Even more shock filled Jine. It was... it was impossible. There was no way... and yet it was true.

**A/N- I couldn't think of a suitable ending for this chapter, so I guess this will have to due. More is on the way... I guess.**


	3. Meeting the Queen

**A/N- Thanks for the review, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. And I thought about the enemy, noticed that Ganondorf was already dead, and I decided to do someone different. That's why I chose to do Vaati! Plus... I haven't written about him... -sweatdrops-**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda or Simple and Clean, believe it or not.  
**

Vaati sat down, brushing a stray violet lock from his red eyes. He looked up upon hearing the door to his room open. His young cousin, Tura. People said that the only thing that they shared was their blood red eyes, and he disagreed. Vaati knew that their intents were very close, if not the same.

"Yes, Tura? What is it now?" Daysin winced slightly at his real name and knelt down. Vaati was the only person that he would allow to call him that. Why? Because Vaati had complete control over him.

"Master... I went to the Princess's party as you requested..." Daysin murmured. "And her skills are quite obviously better than we imagined. If we could take Impa away from her for more than a few seconds and send some people with better skills after her... we might be able to get some better data on her besides what we have."

"Of course, Tura. We _could _do that, or we could do it my way. And because this is my plan, it's my duty to have everything done _my _way, otherwise it will be completely ruined and I don't want some pesky little brat there to mess everything that I worked so hard to do." Daysin winced at this comment.

"Yes, Master. I shouldn't have even spoken this. Please, forgive me." Vaati lifted the boy's chin smiling faintly and cruelly.

"Tura, Tura, Tura... you're my cousin and one of the best people that I have on my side. I'll forgive you every time and in everything. Now be silent. It shall be perhaps two or four years before we strike again. Until I call you, go back home to your father." Daysin's eyes widened at this.

"Yes, Master. As you wish."

* * *

_Two and a half years later..._

* * *

Malina groaned as she looked at all the names. "I know that I'm a bright student and all, but is it really necessary for me to learn over a hundred names of people that are already dead? I understand learning from their mistakes, but why do I have to know all of their names? It seems just... stupid." Tutor Mijai tapped her nose.

"Now, now, Princess. Don't slump. And there aren't a hundred names as you so claim. There are but twenty-two. Hurry and study because there shall be a test on these people this Friday." Malina couldn't help but groan again. Learning to be a Princess was... terrible.

Malina stared at the names for a while and put them in her photographic memory case. It was a wonderful gift, but useless when there were no notes. Which, after learning that Malina had a photographic memory, Tutor Mijai had put much less up on the board, much to Malina's disappointment.

"Okay, I'm all done!" Malina announced, standing up. "Can I go now? Please?" Tutor Mijai laughed at her, but in a kind sort of way. He patted her shoulder and nodded. Malina was out of there within a second.

"Freedom!" She shouted, laughing. But, apparently, it was not to be, for Impa caught her arm before she could start running. Malina's face fell as she realized that she couldn't even step out of a class without being watched by someone. Namely, Impa.

"Not quite, Princess. You are to get your crown fitted today for your thirteenth birthday, remember? Not to mention your ever day one is getting quite old. And after that you must meet with the royals of Caisia, and no royals have ever met with them, so you'll be in the history books." Malina sighed at the list.

"But Mistress Impa-" Malina began whining. Impa quickly cut her off, having no taste for the moment of any whining.

"Princess, it's your duty to do these things. If you do not, you might be shattering the honor of your family, or even the honor of our kingdom. Would you like to be remembered like that, Princess?" Malina sighed. Impa was using the guilt trick again.

"No, Mistress Impa. I would not like to remembered as such. I shall go and do these things so that we may retain our honor." Malina murmured, putting her princess face on. Impa sighed at her and put her hand on the girl's shoulder while they began walking to the crown room, a room made for anything about crowns.

"I know that you do not wish to be a princess or a ruler over the land, Princess, but you must. I can see that every day you yearn more and more for a simpler life, but you cannot have that life. Now, come along, we must hurry if we are to get through the day's events." Malina nodded, her face still stiff.

Malina looked around, sighing. Some girls would, and quite literally might I add, kill for a chance to be the Princess of Hyrule. The beautiful dresses, jewelry, perfumes, goose feather beds, among other things were just a cover, though. When you were heir to the throne, it was so much more work. And not to mention you had to be perfect at everything.

"Now, let's take your measurements." A woman said. "We have to take some for your dress, too. Heaven knows how fast you're growing, Princess..." Malina sighed and nodded, removing the outer layer of her clothes.

"Mistress Impa, I'm not sure I understand why we have to take my measurements six months before my actual birthday. It seems slightly a waste to me since I'll certainly grow within that time. I would understand if it were a month or so before my birthday, but a whole half year? Honestly..." Impa sighed, choosing not to answer.

Afterwards, they began walking down the marble halls. Malina was thinking about almost everything at once. _Now why is this entire place made out of cold stone? Why not have it be made out of something more warm and comforting? Honestly, who thinks about these things... I do wish that I knew more about my parents. And more songs. And not to mention-_

Malina stopped walking, much to the surprise of Impa. The young girl turned around and looked about. Impa watched her in silence, wondering to herself what the girl was looking for. Malina sighed, now certain that no one was there.

Over the past few months, she had felt as though some one was watching her. As though someone was following her. Malina was unsure who they were, but she had seen a black cloak every once in a while. When she had walked over and called out, no one was there. It was rather frightening, really.

"Princess?" Impa asked softly. "Is everything alright?" Malina turned and nodded swiftly, putting on an innocent expression. Even though it was most likely not smart, she had not told Impa. It was a rather frightening prospect as well. Malina would have even more guards and not just that secret person would be watching her at all times. So, they started on their way again.

"Ah, Princess of Hyrule." An elderly woman murmured. "They had told me that you were young, but I did not expect a mere child." Malina felt annoyance, but chose not to say anything about it and use those manners that had been gathering dust all this time.

"You must be the Queen of Caisia. Might I say now that it is a honor to meet a woman of your stature." Impa smiled softly at this and the Queen did as well.

"I see that you've also been taught how to suck up to people. Well, my dear, you needn't do that around me. I have people suck up to me every day and I don't need it from you. I intend for us to be friends, not ladies that have a similar title. Not to mention that you will most likely be my granddaughter in ten or so years." Malina was not surprised at this since she had heard that the Crown Prince was just a few years older than her.

"Yes, well at least you don't have to run the kingdom when you turn fourteen. I'll be the youngest Princess of Hyrule that there has ever been. It ought to be interesting." Malina sighed at the thought and Impa murmured that she was going to get some tea.

"It is a rather unfortunate event, no? Whatever happened to your parents, anyway?" The Queen sat down next to the young girl, who sighed.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what happened. Mistress Impa told me that I would find out the day that I took up the throne. I don't even know the name of my father..." The Queen sighed softly and patted her hand.

"You poor child. Let us take our minds off this. My name is, in case you did not know, Queen Mirai Yoruno Kyana of Caisia. What might be yours, Princess of Hyrule?" Malina smiled softly at this before answering.

"I'm Princess Malina Zelda Hyrule I of Hyrule. It's a pleasure to meet you on this fine summer day in this lovely garden of mine." Malina smiled and stuck her hand out. Mirai took it and laughed gently at the young Princess's formality. Malina began laughing sheepishly in spite of herself. The tea arrived a moment later, causing both to stop laughing and drink like the ladies that they were pretending to be.

"You're like the grandmother that I never had." Malina said softly and began nibbling on a biscuit. Mirai put her china tea cup down and smiled gently at the girl.

"Thank you, my dear. I have heard that you love to sing. Is this true?" Malina turned bright red and looked down before nodding. "Is it alright if I want to hear a song from you? You don't have to sing, but I would like it." Malina sighed and nodded again.

"Okay, I'll sing for you. This song is one of my favorites..." Malina stood up and took a deep breath, as she always did before singing a song.

"When you walk away

You don't hear me say

'Please, oh baby

Don't go

Simple and clean

Is the way that you're making me feel tonight

And it's hard to let it go'"

"You're giving me too many things lately

You're all that I need

You smiled at me

And said"

"Don't get me wrong I love you

But does that mean I have to meet your father?

When we are older you'll understand

What I meant when I said no

I don't think life is quite that simple"

"When you walk away

You don't hear me say

'Please, oh baby

Don't go

Simple and clean

Is the way that you're making me feel tonight

And it's hard to let it go'"

"The daily things

Like this and that and what is what

Are confusing me

That's when you came to me

And said"

"Wish I could prove I love you

But does that mean I have to walk on water?

When we are older you'll understand

You'll understand it's enough when I say so

And maybe some things are that simple"

"When you walk away

You don't hear me say

'Please, oh baby

Don't go

Simple and clean

Is the way that you're making me feel tonight

And it's hard to let it go'"

"Hold me

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on

Regardless of warnings

The future doesn't scare me at all

Nothing's like before"

"When you walk away

You don't hear me say

'Please, oh baby

Don't go

Simple and clean

Is the way that you're making me feel tonight

And it's hard to let it go'"

"Hold me

Whatever lies beyond this morning

Is a little later on

Regardless of warnings

The future doesn't scare me at all

Nothing's like before"

"Regardless of warnings

The future doesn't scare me at all

'Cause nothing's like before"

Malina cleared her throat, her face still red. She sat down and Mirai was clapping. Malina smiled at the elderly woman and the woman did the same. She knew that they would, indeed, be good friends.

**A/N- I think that's enough for this chapter. The next chapter is when the story really gets started, I think. R&R.**


	4. Love Gone Wrong

**A/N- Thanks for the review, ****omegarulesall. Dang, that's hard to spell. Sorry, anyway, yeah, I think that they need to use Vaati a lot more, too. I know that Ganondork has the Triforce of power, but couldn't they just have both of them in it or something? Jeez.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda Stay Gold**

Malina snored softly, bringing her blankets up to around her face. Impa sighed upon looking at the Princess. She was sleeping late, even on her birthday. _Then again, _Impa reflected. _Would the Princess ever get up on time any day? It's hard to believe that in a year she'll be Queen Malina. She looks too young to be Queen._

Impa took her ocarina out and began playing her favorite song. Malina would not be able to stay asleep if she heard the song. The song that she had loved since she was very young. Stay Gold, as the Princess called it. Right on time, Malina sat up sleepily and began rubbing her eyes.

"Rise and shine, Princess." Impa murmured, ruffling the girl's hair. "You have a birthday party to get ready for." Malina groaned, remembering that it was her thirteenth birthday.

"Mistress Impa..." Malina mumbled. "I won't move from this spot unless you play that song and let me sing along..." Impa smiled at the sleepy pre, no, now she was a teenager. She brought the ocarina to her lips and began playing and Malina sang.

"They say that change is

A fundamental part of the human heart"

"But darling, your soul

It will continue to shine so kindly

Because I love you

You don't ever have to worry

My darling, stay gold"

"Please keep smiling with innocence

Everyday..."

Malina yawned after the duo finished, stretching her arms sleepily. "Okay, okay, I'll get up now... I guess. Queen Mirai, her husband, and my probably fiance will be there, too, right?" Impa nodded, a slight smile on her lips. "Well, I guess I'd better get ready, then! We all know how much Mirai hates me!"

Malina jumped out of bed, but not happily and with energy. In fact, it might be more appropriate to say that she fell out of bed. She slumped over to her mirror, one that showed her entire body. It didn't seem to help the Princess with her fashion problems, so most people thought that it was a waste of space, especially after Impa started helping the Princess get dressed again.

The dress was a soft pink with a see through sparkly layer that started around the waist. She wore white gloves that went up to her elbows and a simple silver circlet. She was wearing pink high heels as well. Malina took a chunk of her hair and tied it with her ribbon. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed softly.

"You look very pretty, Princess." Impa murmured. Malina nodded and felt tears coming to her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, laughing shakily.

"I-I don't know why, but I feel like I won't see you anytime soon, Impa... and I... I feel like this is one of those days that it's my last day... I don't know why, though..." Impa wrapped the young girl in a hug, gently stroking her hair. Malina sobbed even harder, holding onto Impa's shoulders, still unsure why she felt so sad.

After a moment, she regained her composure. "Let's go and face these people, Impa. We must go and do this, for our people, yes?" Malina smiled. "My birthday is nigh here and I must know who this person is that I am most likely to marry." Impa laughed and nodded.

* * *

Daysin closed his eyes, sighing. Today was the big day. The day were everything started going right for him and his master. The day that those stupid high and mighty people in Hyrule were going to pay, and the people of the land were going to get their right place in the world. The people that had struggled were finally going to get what they really deserved.

"Tura, come along. We must hurry to achieve our goal. There is not time to waste as I expect that you would like to." Vaati hurried a bit faster, and Daysin quickened his pace to keep up with the quick footed man.

"I would never want to waste time, Master. All I would ever want to do is serve you, Master. It has always been a pleasure and always will be, Master. These months that I have been back have been as heaven, Master." Vaati flicked his hair out of his eyes in annoyance.

"Stop sucking up, boy. We have an important job to do, after all." Daysin nodded quickly and began walking even faster to keep up with the man. Vaati's cloak fluttered in the wind as they took a step outside. The violet haired man smiled and sucked in a breath through his nose, wondering if he had spent too much time inside. But then again, there was quite a bit of snow on the ground.

Daysin shivered in the cold, trying not to complain in front of his master. The boy was now nearly a man, being sixteen years old and all. He was wearing a long, black cloak that was perfect for stealth in many conditions. However, it wasn't very good in the area of protecting yourself from the elements.

Daysin and Vaati began walking toward the castle, as many of other people were. On the Princess's birthday, it was basically an open house for people to come and look at everything. Only the nobles and such could get into the actual party though.

Vaati smiled as he looked up at the castle. He was fairly certain that by the end of the day, this castle would be his. Taken over him and his men. By Vaati's genius, of course, but still. It would be a novel day in which those cowardly nobles would never be able to forget. Only one would retain his position.

Lord Jine stood by the gate, waiting. Upon seeing the two men, he smiled. "Ah, Itaav and Tura! Wonderful to see you both, my old friends! Come along, we must hurry to the party. It lasts all day, but the Princess doesn't actually arrive at her own party until later. But then again, how would anyone know since it is a masquerade ball?"

Normally, Daysin would have killed Lord Jine for calling him this, but this time was different. It was their cover names, since everyone knew Daysin and Vaati. Both were criminals, so Daysin would have to live with Lord Swine calling him this for now.

"Ah, good, I see that you already brought some masks!" Lord Jine said greedily. "This means that I won't have to buy any for you. Now, I must know, how have you two been? Well, I do hope?" Vaati rolled his eyes, but at which comment, Daysin couldn't tell.

"Stop pretending to care, Jine. You would do my plan if you had the smarts or the power. Then you'd turn your back on me and most likely kill me. You should be happy that I'm letting you live, unlike many of the other people in this castle, like, per say, the Princess. She shall certainly die tonight." Lord Jine grunted at this before answering.

"Good. It's high time that little brat learned her lesson. Always singing and dancing and acting all ungrateful for the things that she has. Honestly, if I had that kind of power..." Lord Jine's eyes lit up at the thought and he started drooling. Daysin took a step away from him and Vaati simply slapped him.

"Yes, yes, you power-hungry fool. You shall have your reward soon enough, don't you worry. Now be silent about our plans." Lord Jine nodded, pouting slightly.

As they entered, Daysin was unsurprised at the surroundings of the ball room. He had, after all, been sneaking around the castle and following the Princess around for the past seven months. He was, however, surprised at how many people were in there. All those people were going to die tonight? It didn't really seem... right.

Vaati glanced at Daysin and blinked. The boy's eyes were violet. Not a pale lilac color like Vaati's hair, but a dark, depressed purple. When Vaati blinked again, the boy's eyes were back to their regular blood red.

"I hope that you aren't going soft on me now, boy..." Vaati murmured before speaking directly to him. "While we wait for the Princess to come out, why don't you go dance with someone? I don't want my cousin to be bored while he waits for the destruction of these people." Daysin turned slightly red at this.

"I-I'm alright, Master. Don't worry about me..." Vaati ignored the boy and swept his eyes about, looking for a pretty girl. After a moment, he pointed to a girl.

"Go ask that girl to dance. You have nothing better to do, and I don't want you disobeying my orders. Hurry along..." Daysin nodded numbly and sighed before walking over to the girl in the pink dress that Vaati had pointed to.

* * *

"Remember, this is for your protection." Impa murmured, just before she entered the ball room. "You're not being left alone for the fun of it. We're making sure that you keep safe by the way that no one knows who you are. Do you remember your name?" Malina nodded quickly, grinning underneath her mask.

"Yup. It's Hikari. I've always loved that name, and now I get to use it. Now, off with you, Impa. I'll be at the ale kegs if you need me." Upon Impa's expression, Malina quickly amended it. "I won't really be anywhere near there, Impa. I'll more likely be watching people dance from the side." Impa sighed and nodded.

"I honestly worry about you, sometimes..." Impa murmured before walking away. Malina, no, _Hikari_, felt a thrill go through her. She couldn't remember the last time that she was left alone. Hikari smiled softly before walking swiftly to the dancing area.

She watched, imagining herself out there, with a handsome young man... it was like a dream. Hikari sighed at the thought, dreaming of the day that she would be in love with someone and that same someone would be in love with her... although they would most likely not be able to be together since everyone thought that she was going to be with the of Prince Caisia.

"Excuse me? May I have this dance?" A polite voice asked. Hikari blinked, pulling herself from her dreams, and looked up to see who had spoken to her. It was a young man in a black cloak with dark, violet eyes. He also had dark brown hair that seemed quite nearly black.

"Oh, well, uh..." Hikari flushed upon noticing how handsome he was. "I-I'm afraid that I'm not a very good dancer..." She saw his face fall slightly and felt the guilt trap working on her again. "But I suppose that I could."

Hikari felt her heart beat faster and faster as she danced with him. Neither spoke, for they seemed to be lost in each other's faces. Finally, after quite a while into the dance, the boy spoke. Hikari almost didn't listen to the words because she was too caught up in his lovely, not overly deep voice.

"May I know the name of the fair maiden that I dance with?" He murmured. Hikari took a moment to absorb the words, then felt her face flame up again as she realized that she hadn't answered his question.

"U-um, s-so-sorry... my name is... Hikari..." Hikari mumbled the words, embarrassed that her voice wasn't half as lovely as his was. The boy nodded before answering.

"Mine is Daysin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hikari." Daysin said, his face slightly red as well. He felt like he had a fever, and there were butterflies in his stomach. Daysin had never felt this way about anyone before. It was so... different than how he felt about everyone else.

The song ended and Daysin regretfully brought his hands away from Hikari's back and hand. "Perhaps we may see each other again?" He proposed carefully. Hikari smiled softly.

"Yes... I hope that we may see each other again." Daysin smiled and took her hand. He kissed it softly and let go gently. He then walked over to where the rest of his group was. Daysin felt slightly regretful that this girl would be dead by the end of the night, but there was no way to stop it.

Daysin's eyes turned red.

Hikari watched him go, holding her gloved hand tightly. It was the same hand that he had kissed. She had wanted a romantic moment in her life, and boy oh boy had she gotten it. It was almost too much for the girl to handle.

Impa put a hand on her shoulder and softly spoke. "Princess, it's time for the party to truly begin and for you to reveal yourself. Come, let's go." Malina nodded and glanced over her shoulder to where they had danced. It would be a secret between them, she supposed.

* * *

"Did you have a moment of fun, Daysin?" Vaati asked as the boy removed his mask for a moment. His face was flushed as he thought about Hikari. She was... how could he even begin to describe it?

"You could say that..." Daysin murmured, closing his eyes. Vaati chuckled at his cousin. However, as Impa began to speak, silencing everyone, Vaati sobered and began to listen to the Sheikah woman.

"Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate the Princess's birthday! Now, for the past half hour she has been roaming among you, to see what it would be like. Now she shall reveal herself. Princess Malina, come along now." Daysin watched in shock as the girl that he had thought was Hikari stood up and walked upon the stage.

"Thank you, Mistress Impa for that... _interesting _introduction. Now, onto what's going on tonight..." Vaati could keep sober no longer. He began laughing easily at the look on Daysin's face.

"Well, I suppose that I made an interesting choice as to who you were to dance with, yes? I suppose that it's oh well now, though. She's going to die anyway. Now, Lord Jine, if you will..." Vaati held out his hand to the portly man who quickly gave the red eyed man a large book.

Daysin couldn't help but keep staring at the Princess. Even now, when she was so far away, he could still feel that same feeling. He had been feeling it toward the Princess for perhaps a month, but he had chosen to ignore it.

"_Heski no gamma Nakasht_..." Vaati hissed and a staff came from the book. It was wooden, except for the top which had black crystals upon it. He smiled at it and Daysin felt chills go up his spine.

"Princess!" He shouted. "Here me speak! Here the words of Vaati, the sorcerer!" Everyone gasped as they saw him. Malina took a step back, her face frightened and Impa stepped in front of her, her eyes like daggers.

"Listen to me! Today is the day that I take what is rightfully mine! Today is the day that I kill you!" Vaati murmured the same words that he did before, aiming the staff at Impa. A black beam shot out from it, blasting Impa back into the wall. There she slumped, having fainted.

"Now, Princess! DIE!" Vaati screamed, pointing the staff at her. A black beam came from the staff and...

**A/N- And that's were I'll end. This whole thing between Malina and Daysin sounds sort of link Romeo and Juliet, huh? Hope it doesn't end that way. Please, R&R.**


	5. Where Did I Go Wrong?

**A/N- ****Thanks for the reviews, omegarulesall and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. I've never done a cliffhanger before, so I guess that I did a good job on it. **

**PLEASE READ: I have a poll.  
**

**Disclaimer- Do I really need to say it?**

_"Now, Princess! DIE!" Vaati screamed, pointing the staff at her. A black beam came from the staff and... _

Malina covered her face with her arms, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Her life flashed before her. Malina braced herself for impact, but none came. When she opened her eyes again, there was someone in front of her.

Daysin felt shock come over himself as he realized what he had just done. He had used his cloak, the same one that Vaati had given him. It had been given a spell to shield anything that was thrown at it. It was very powerful, and now he had used it against Vaati.

"Tura!" Vaati shouted, making his way through the crowd to the two. "I would have expected this from the pig, but you?! I knew that your father had made a mistake when he married that woman! It was putting the most opposite of elements together! I had always thought that you were staying beside me, but your stupid mother...!"

Tears entered Daysin's eyes and he knelt down. "Vaati... Vaati, can you ever forgive me? I am not sure why I protected her... I just did... please, Vaati, you must forgive me!" Vaati's face was still furious, but when he spoke it was calm.

"Tura. Do you remember three years ago, to this very date, I promised you that I would always forgive you. And I will. But you must kill the Princess because you rid my chance to do so." Daysin's eyes widened at this, but he kept his face to the ground as he spoke.

"Vaati, please! Anything but that... I cannot kill the Princess. I would rather kill myself..." Malina felt her bottom lip tremble as she watched this. She didn't want to die, but at the moment it seemed to be her or him. Malina was now unsure about what to call him since he was obviously not on her side. He could have been lying for all that she knew.

"Fine then. I shall allow her to not die by your, but by..." He seemed to hesitate for a moment by the look on Daysin's face. "I shall allow her to die by the natural elements. We shall let her die by the hands of nature, not my own."

Daysin quickly nodded. "Master, I shall take her to the woods. I shall make sure to get her lost. Please, Master." Malina felt slight annoyance at this and tried to speak out against it all. However, Vaati aimed the staff at her and Malina became silent again.

"Tura, do as you will. Take the Princess away. But if I ever find out that she's alive, I'll take both of your heads and stick them on poles. Then I shall put them near the Hylian flag as proof of what happens when you disobey someone with much more power than you." Daysin nodded slowly, biting his bottom lip. He then turned to Malina and grabbed her hand, pulling her away.

Malina looked back once to see Vaati. He was creating a sort of black sphere over his head. He threw it at the crowd and- the door shut behind her. Malina glanced up at Daysin, if that was his name, and saw that his once red eyes were filtering back to their beautiful purple color.

"Please, Princess, I am very sorry." He whispered, turning away from the small girl. "But I must ask that the moment I let you go that you never seek me out again. To lose you... it would be as bad, if not worse, as losing my father."

"Wait!" Malina cried, grabbing his arm. "Please, can't you tell me what's going on? I must know what..." When Daysin turned to the young Princess, his eyes were full of pain and hurt. Malina trailed off upon seeing the look on his face.

"Please, Princess. This is making it harder for me to let you go. If my Master even finds out that I even considered letting you go..." Daysin shuddered at the thought. "Anyway, come along, Princess. We must hurry and get you away from here." Daysin took her hand loosely and lead her away.

Malina followed, sighing. Her first love had turned out to be one of her worst enemies. How depressing. She had thought that... ah, what was the point anymore?

Finally, the reality of the situation hit her. The castle had been taken over by the villain and the Princess was going to be killed. It was not the most lovely of prospects. So, she was finally getting the adventure that she had wanted.

Daysin's lovely voice awoke her from her thoughts. "Princess, which horse is yours?" Malina realized that he had led her to the stables. Malina walked over to one of the stalls and peered inside. There stood Lait, not in any noble fashion, but asleep.

"Lait!" Malina cried. "Lait! Wake up! Please, Lait!" The horse opened it's eyes after a moment and sleepily tromped over to her. Malina took her annoying high heels off and removed her circlet, putting it in a bag on Lait's side. She then turned to Daysin, her face grim.

"Now I'm ready. Let's go." Any feelings of happiness, or even perhaps love, were long since past. Malina felt that love was not for her, or at least not right now.

Daysin nodded and jumped onto his black horse which was only a few stalls down. He felt some anger in himself as he glanced at the girl that he loved. It was obvious that he was now nothing in her eyes. Yet, that didn't matter. As long as she was safe... that was all that mattered to Daysin right now.

Malina looked up into the now dark sky. Upon the horizon the moon was rising, a blood red color. She felt cold go into her and she sang a song to feel better. However, it was softly and it was only the first part of it.

"Makin' my way downtown,  
Walkin' fast,  
Faces pass and I'm homebound."

"Starin' blankly ahead,  
Just makin' my way,  
Makin' a way through the crowd."

"And I need you,  
And I miss you,  
And now I wonder..."

"If I could fall into the sky,  
Do you think time  
would pass me by?  
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles  
If I could just see you...  
Tonight."

"It's always times like these  
When I think of you,  
And wonder if you ever think of me."

"'Cause everything's so wrong  
And I don't belong..."

Malina stopped singing and quickly sighed. It was no use and no comfort. She looked up again and closed her eyes. Maybe everything would be alright. Maybe someone would come and save her. And maybe Vaati knew how to make a picture of Zelda with macaroni art.

**A/N- Sorry about the crappy chapter. I couldn't think of anything really good for this chapter, and I wanted to end right there so you wouldn't have to deal with the crappiness of it all. Anyway, R&R and no flames.**


	6. A Friend

**A/N- Thanks, omegarulesall and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. And... you really think that it didn't stink? Well, that's a slight relief.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda, Stay Gold, Dareka no Negai Ga Kanau Koro**

"They say that change is

A fundamental part of the human heart"

"But darling, your soul

It will continue to shine so kindly

Because I love you

You don't ever have to worry

My darling, stay gold"

"Please keep smiling with innocence

Everyday..."

Malina closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Lait was gone. Of course he wasn't coming back. He wouldn't ever come back. Lait was dead.

The last few hours had been terrible for her. Daysin had made sure that she couldn't find her way out of there or anything. He had even killed Lait. His eyes had turned red again, and there was nothing that she could do about it. He even tied her to this tree...

The woods were terribly dark and frightening during the night. Malina had prayed to the Goddesses for hours, but nothing had happened. The night had to be nearly over, but it wasn't. Malina closed her eyes. She blinked as her sharp ears caught something. A song... and whoever it was, they had a beautiful voice.

"I've lost something important because of small things

The cold ring showed its glimmer to me

I said, "All I need is today," but that wasn't the case

The door to you vanished without a sound"

"The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But still, I want you to stay, and I always did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

That way the door won't make a sound..."

It was then that Malina realized that there was someone out there. "Please!" Malina cried. "Please, whoever is out there, help me!" The voice stopped singing, having heard the young Princess.

"If you can hear me," A woman called. "Shout so I can know where you are!" Under usual circumstances, Malina would have noted that the woman had a slightly strange accent, not Hylian at all. But this was not, so she took no notice of it.

"I'm over here!" Malina cried even louder. "Please, help me! I don't know how long I've been tied up!" A woman appeared from between a couple of trees with a horse or something. Malina couldn't see much about her except for she was wearing all black.

"Oh, dear..." The woman said, walking over to Malina. "This cannot end well. How did this happen, child?" The woman took out a knife and cut the bonds slowly off, being careful not to cut the girl. Malina began rubbing her wrists the instant that they were free before she answered.

"To be honest... I'm not really sure." Malina admitted, still rubbing her wrists. The woman got close to the young girl's face, examining a scratch.

"I suppose that happens to us all some times." The woman murmured. She turned around and headed back to her mule, for that was what it was. She took something out of one of the packs and knelt back down next to Malina.

It felt odd for Malina. She had never had a mother, and this woman had a gentle touch and soft voice. She seemed to want to take care of Malina, even though she barely knew her. For Malina, that was sort of what a mother was like. In her mind's eye, anyway.

The woman began to softly hum the song that she had been singing before. "What is that song?" Malina whispered. "I've never heard it before..." The woman dabbed a bit of antibiotic to a scratch on Malina's arm before answering.

"In my language, it's called Dareka No Negai Ga Kanau Koro. In Hylian, I think the proper way to say it is When Someone's Wish Comes True. I'm not too sure, though. Hylian is a fairly difficult language to learn." The woman laughed softly. Malina felt more intrigued than ever.

"Your language? Where are you from?" The woman looked down, slightly embarrassed. She did, however, answer.

"A land called Areu. It is... far from here. By the by, my name is Yuumei. In my language it literally translates to Dark and Light." Yuumei smiled softly at Malina as she finished tying off her last bandage.

"I see... my name is Malina..." Malina stopped, after thinking. Telling some random person her full name and her title was, most likely, not a very good idea. "Malina." She finished after a moment. "My name is Malina." Yuumei smiled again.

"I suppose that I can't just leave you here. Come along... Malina." Yuumei helped her up and took the young girl over to her mule. "Okay, Chikara. Hurry along, you... hurry along." Yuumei caught herself before she swore in front of the girl. What was she, twelve? Thirteen, maybe? Like it probably mattered.

"Will you sing the rest of that song?" Malina asked softly, surprising Yuumei.

"Ah... yes. If you wish me to." Yuumei swept her long, black hair over her shoulder, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before beginning to sing.

"The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But still, I want you to stay, and I always did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

That way the door won't make a sound"

"I wanted to be the only who could heal you, who is needed by all,

And I've endured it a little too much"

"To wish for own happiness is not selfish, right?

If that's so, I want to hold you as tight as I can

When my tears dry up, she'll be crying

That way, the ground under us won't dry up"

"The more I wish for your own happiness, the more selfish I become

But you never hold me back, you never did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

Everyone's wishes can't be granted at once"

"As the small earth rotates, I learn to be more kind

I want to hug you once more, as soft as I can..."

Her voice faded off into the darkness of the forest, and Malina was amazed. She felt a single tear fall down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away quickly. It was amazing how powerful that song could be, and at the same time so soft.

"I like the version in my language better." Yuumei said softly. "It, to me, has so much more meaning... and I can hit the notes right. Not to mention I had to change the song's rhythm and all to make it work." Malina nodded and sighed, looking up into the blood red moon. For a little while they were both silent, choosing not to speak. After a moment, however, Yuumei spoke again.

"Want to hear an original song that I made up? I'm still working on it and it has some Areuen words in it..." Malina nodded furiously and Yuumei couldn't help but laugh quietly at this before singing softly.

"In the night

There is a lonely bird

It flies to the kurai sora

Ever alone in the kurai"

"I sing for you every night of me

Wondering if this is the right way

Wondering if love is real

I sing, alone alone alone

Waiting for kurai to turn to hikari"

"Red is the color of all humans

For what is there in blood and pain?

You can find me here, hitori

You'll find that bird someday, I promise that"

"And that's pretty much it..." Yuumei murmured. "It's not very good, I know. My friend writes most of my songs and this is the first that I've ever written." Malina smiled softly at her and looked around, sighing.

"I wonder why it's still dark. You think that it would be morning by now." Yuumei glanced back before answering.

"I heard from someone that this is the Eternal Night. The day that becomes the night for the rest of... well, forever. The person was sure of it and I guess I believed it." Yuumei said softly. Malina blinked.

"What did the person that told you this look like?" Malina demanded.

"Well, I don't know really. They had this big, long, dark cloak on so I couldn't see much of their face." It had to be Daysin. It just had to be.

For quite a while, they traveled in silence. Malina couldn't help but wonder who this woman was. She seemed to be no older than twenty or so. She had raven black hair that went slightly past her shoulders and black eyes that seemed to melt in with her pupils.

Yuumei smiled and turned to face her. "So, do you know any good songs? I'd like to hear them if you don't mind."

"I-I don't really like singing in front of other people..." Malina mumbled. Yuumei's face fell, but she quickly became happy again.

"Ah, well. So, what exactly do you want to do?" Yuumei asked. "I can guess that you don't exactly want to go back to where you came from, so is there anything else that you'd like to do?" Malina blinked and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. What _did _she want to do? Malina knew that she couldn't go back...

"I want to find out what happened to my family." She said softly. "They died and no one will tell me how. I want to know how my parents died, and if they really are even dead." Yuumei grinned at her.

"Do you mind if I accompany you in that journey? It sounds kind of fun." Malina nodded, happy to have someone that wanted to help. "I have to pick a friend up in Kakariko, though. Do you mind if we go over there?"

"Not at all." Malina said. "I've never been there, so this should be an adventure."

* * *

Vaati glanced around the Princess's room, his face annoyed. "If she had wanted to hide it," He murmured to himself. "I'm certain that it would be in this room."

Impa watched him in silence, for he had cast a spell on her, paralyzing the woman. He was searching for a book. It was said that there were three of these books in a series. Each was owned by a bearer of the Triforce. Vaati had obviously found the Book of Power, and now he was searching for the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Courage.

"You know where it is, don't you?" Vaati murmured, turning to Impa. She remained silent. The man laughed easily, turning his back to Impa. It did not matter whether or not she knew, for she would, in time, reveal all. Even things that she did not know.

Vaati blinked as he heard the slightest creak underneath his feet. He glanced down and saw that the stone was loose. Vaati squatted down and removed the stone. Beneath the stone there were toys, books, and even the occasional paper or candy. He picked one of the papers up and began to read it aloud.

"Today is my little Princess's birthday. She's turning two. I cannot believe it. Malina is getting so big... but she shows so many signs of being like her father that it frightens me. What if people find out? There would be much strife in the kingdom if they found out that the Princess's father was _not _Lord Hingerburg like I declared. How dreadful that would be... anyway, I must get ready for the ball. I do hope that I see Link..."

Vaati's lip curled as he read this. So, Malina wasn't the daughter of Hingerburg? The man who had died of a mysterious disease? He turned to Impa, his eyes cold. He knelt down before her, and Impa felt him release her paralysis on her lips.

"You are going to tell me everything, right now. I know that you know who the Princess's father is. Zelda would tell you. So now you are going to tell me." Impa's eyes widened as she took a deep breath. She answered slowly, and Vaati laughed at her answer.

"I knew it." He murmured. "Somehow, I just knew it deep inside." Impa closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip as the paralysis took hold again. Before it took complete effect, she whispered something.

"Princess, I hope that you're safe..."

**A/N- Ah, I liked that chapter much better than the last. And sorry for all the song fictions. It's just the way that this story works. R&R.**


	7. The Knights of Night

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, omegarulesall, unknown () and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. 8D Yeah, I'm a dork wad.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda or Stay Gold**

Malina breathed happily. After four or five hours of travel, they where finally out of the forest, which was a relief. Why? Well, because it is dark and scary during the night while you're in the forest. The only thing that ever makes it better, is when you have someone with you, which Malina did.

Yuumei closed her eyes and stopped her mule. Malina watched, slightly confused. She had done that ever once in a while. Then she would sing a song, a different one each time, mind you, in her language and then they would be on their jolly way again. Malina didn't understand, but she thought that it would be rude if she asked.

"Kawariyuku no ga hito no

Kokoro no tsune dato iimasuga"

"Ne darling, your soul

Yasashiku kagayaki tsuzukeruwa

Daisuki dakara, zutto

Nannimo shinpai iranaiwa

My darling, stay gold"

"Mujakini waratte kudasaina

Itsuno hi mo..."

Malina frowned as she heard this. It sounded just like that song that Impa would play for her each night, the song that she called Stay Gold... but that was entirely impossible.

"I know the way now." Yuumei began to explain. "Singing just clears my mind. After that I can use my magic to tell the route. I don't use it unless I'm lost, which I am all the time. It's rather unfortunate, but I couldn't find my own bed in my own room until I was eight. And then I had to move, which didn't help me too much."

Malina giggled at this. "I've lived in one place all of my life, but it probably wouldn't matter since I have a photographic memory." Yuumei pouted at her.

"Lucky." Malina couldn't help but laugh again. But she blinked at she saw Yuumei. The woman's skin was red. Malina looked at her own and saw that it had turned pretty red as well. Yuumei noticed the worried look on her face.

"Don't worry too much, Malina... I've heard that too much stress can be bad for your health." Yuumei stated. "And besides, it's just the moonlight shining down on us." Malina looked straight up and saw the moon. It was blood red. Now, that wasn't scary at all.

"Yuumei..." Malina said softly. "Who is this person or people that we're going to go meet?"

* * *

Ceris glanced around the town, his dark brown ones taking everything. The people of Kakariko were coming out of their homes nervously. Not a big surprise, really. The red moon was still up, it was still night, and it had been that way for almost a half a week. Ceris had gone out, but that's because he had a sword.

Ceris brushed his light blond hair back and left the pole that he had been leaning against. He was a typical fifteen-year-old. Full of attitude, hating his parents, and completely in love with weapons. Not to mention in love with any beautiful girl that he happened to come across. However, there weren't too many of those in Kakariko.

The boy entered the inn and was greeted by the sounds of men that were about to get drunk. Nowadays, men got drunk whenever they wanted because it was night all of the time. Ceris didn't mind too much since he had grown up with a father who was drunk all of the time. Which slightly explained why he hated his parents. Unfortunately, there are many reasons as to why he feels this way about them.

"Ah, Ceris." An elderly man called. "There you are. I was wondering if you were coming! Please, sit down!" Ceris sat down next to the old man, whose name was Marit. Marit used to be sword master, but was just an old retired man now.

"So, is the Princess of Areu here yet?" Sparrow, one of the men that were sitting at the table, said softly. Ceris shook his head as he sat down. Sparrow sighed and nodded. He was the only man at the table that had not met the Princess of Areu yet. Even Ceris, the youngest of the group, had met her before him.

Allow me to explain. On this table, there is a painting of the Triforce. This is very significant, even though it seems to be average. There are only four of these tables and they are spread all across Hyrule. One is in the Forest Temple and is no longer in use. Another is here, in Kakariko. There is one in the Zora's Domain, and one in Hyrule Castle. They signify the Knights of the Night, a secret service of sorts.

Per place, there are five members. In the area of Kakariko, there is Ceris, Marit, Sparrow, Shina, and, lastly, the Goron Chief. That is the only thing that doesn't change in the Knights of the Night. The Goron Chief, the Zora King or Queen, and the King or Queen of Hyrule have always been part of the Knights of Night.

Ceris looked about and frowned. "Where's Shina and the Goron Chief? I thought that they were supposed to be here over an hour ago, just like me." Ceris was, and is, the youngest member of the Knights of Night. He joined when he was only eleven.

"Yes, well, you know Shina." Marit murmured. Shina was the only girl in the Kakariko section of the Knights of Night. For that she was very well known. The girl was seventeen and deadly. Let's just say that she had a way with her hands, feet, and any other part of her body that she was able to move. She also had a slight problem with being overly into books, and would forget the time, and, sometimes, the place that she was.

"And what about the Goron Chief?" Ceris asked. Sparrow replied to this question.

"He said that he wanted to come, but he had many pressing matters of his own to deal with and wouldn't have time for our little meeting." Sparrow was the most quiet of them. He had soft brown eyes and stringy brown hair that went down to his shoulders. Sparrow was an expert with the bow and arrow. He could tell you when the first one was made if you asked. He mostly kept to himself, and Marit was his father.

Marit was the eldest of the group. He had white hair that went half way down his back and the same brown eyes as Sparrow. His were more hard though, having seen more hurt than the young man that sat next to him. Marit was an amazing planner for battles and such, even if he was too old to be of any more help than that.

"Heya!" A girl said, sitting next to Ceris. She had brown hair like almost everyone around there, but her hair was in braid with a ribbon used as a strand of hair. She had mischievous blue eyes and a tall, willowy figure. A very pretty girl, many boys thought. Ceris thought she was a scary girl who was constantly trying to beat him up when they were training together. And most of the time she succeeded. Shina was just like that.

"Shina, you're late." Marit said flatly. "Do try to be more on time, dear." Shina blushed and looked down. Although the Knights of Night had no leader, Marit could easily have been the leader if he had wanted to. However, he was quite happy with just being an old man that planned out their small plans that kept the whole country at peace. Yes, you could say that the Knights of Night were fairly important people.

"Is this meeting under way, then?" Shina asked. "Cause if it ain't, I'm gonna go back to my book." She brought the thick, leather-bound book out, grinning. Marit tapped the young woman's hand, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Shina, do try to be more serious. In case you haven't noticed, we have a slight problem on our hands. Has anyone besides myself noticed that it has been night for the past few days? The world has not stopped, it just seems to be that the sun was blotted out." Ceris nodded, Sparrow began playing with his fingers and Shina put a bookmark in her book.

"There has been no contact from the castle for the last few days whatsoever. I do think that... that Vaati is back." Ceris stood up, Sparrow dropped the glass he had been holding, and Shina got in a defensive position. Vaati had been a major problem for the Knights of Night ten or so years ago, about the time that the Princess of Hyrule had been born. He had been put in an eternal sleep, though, and was thought to still be in that sleep.

"That's impossible!" Ceris cried, sitting himself back down. "Weren't you one of the people that were there when that happened?! He has to still be asleep!"

"Yeah, old man!" Shina growled. "Don't lie to us! I don't like it when people lie to me, and you know it! This is one of the few times that I'm going to side with the runt!" Shina poked Marit in the shoulder. He brushed her off, his face still calm.

"It is not impossible. Vaati is very powerful. He had the Book of Power in his grasp. It is possible that with its power, someone freed him. They would have to have magical abilities, but it is entirely possible to do with the Book of Power. We must go to the Zora's Domain, very soon. We may not even have time to wait for the Princess of Areu." Marit brushed his long, white beard slowly. Ceris sighed.

"But with her power-" He began, but Marit cut him off.

"There is no time to waste. In fact-" But just as Marit had cut Ceris off, someone entered the inn. A woman and a girl. As you had probably guessed before you even saw the last line, it was Yuumei and Malina. Upon seeing them, Ceris stood up. Yuumei smiled as she saw him and walked over to him.

"Hello, dear friends," She said warmly. Ceris grinned and stretched out his hand to her. Yuumei took it and shook it. Shina saw Malina, who was hiding slightly behind the older woman.

"And who's this runt?" Shina asked bluntly, pointing to Malina. "I don't remember you having a kid or nuthin'." Yuumei blinked and turned around to Shina. She smiled at Malina and murmured something softly to her.

"This is Malina. She was lost in the forest, so I had to help her. She doesn't have anywhere to go, so I decided to take her in for now." Yuumei smiled again and noticed Sparrow. "And I seem to remember you not having a fifth member. Who's this?" Sparrow turned slightly red as he noticed how beautiful Yuumei was.

"I'm Sparrow." Sparrow said quietly. Yuumei seemed a little taken back by his quiet nature but quickly shrugged it off. Marit grabbed a chair and invited them to sit down, which they did.

Malina watched all this, her eyes focusing on them one at time. Who where these people? Yuumei had explained so little. She had told Malina that these people were all part of some sort of organization. But what? Malina felt herself drowsing off. It was hard to stay awake when you didn't know the time and you had been traveling for so long...

Despite all the worries and burdens that had been placed on the young girl's shoulders, she fell asleep while sitting there.

**A/N- I have not much more to say, except for everything while be explained in time. Oh, and R&R.**


	8. Magic

**A/N- Thanks for the review, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. And yes, I think that I have interesting OC's, too. 8D In the beginning of this, it has a little thing about Super Mario. I'm a little obsessive about that right now...**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

Malina opened her eyes, sweating. She had a bad dream. It was about these two men in strange outfits, a dragon-thing, and a pretty princess. They were all speaking some strange language... actually, they were singing. Malina shuddered and drew her knees up to her chin and tried to bring her mind away from the dream.

That was when she noticed it. She was in a room of sorts. The bed was lumpy and old. The only light in the room was a small candle. It was wood paneled and smelled slightly musty. Malina absolutely loved this room.

She put her feet on the cold floor and sighed, remembering the situation that she was in. The young girl felt unprepared for any, and she meant _any_, challenges that happened to be before her. Even so, Malina began preparing herself for the day. Which meant pulling her hair up in the ponytail that she usually had it in.

Malina wondered who put her to bed and put her hair down. She sighed and shrugged, guessing that it was unimportant. Malina began walking downstairs, her delicate feet now in soft, leather boots. She smiled and touched the banister lightly, feeling more like a princess then than she had any other time in her life. It was a wonderful feeling.

"Ah." Yuumei murmured upon seeing Malina. _The girl's grace is like a swan. Not to mention her skin looked like it had never seen a day's work. _The woman thought to herself. _Is it possible that this girl is a noble, escaped from Vaati's grasp?_

"Morning. Sort of." Malina said and glanced around. "Where's everybody else? There were so many other people here yesterday... or today." Yuumei smiled and pulled herself out of her thoughts, brushing her doubts away.

"They don't live here. In fact, only one of them lives even close to here. The one that's only a little bit older than you." Malina's mind traced back to last night, and tried to remember their faces. However, no matter how hard she tried, Malina just couldn't remember.

"They ought to be back here in an hour or so. I have a terrible memory, so I suppose that it would be best if Marit told you what was going on and not have me do it." Yuumei grabbed one of the chairs and sat down on it. She then patted the one next to it, indicating that Malina should sit on it, which she did.

Yuumei brought out a little figure made from wood and a small knife. She began to cut away little slivers of the wood. The first time Malina had seen it was the first time that they had met. She had picked up a piece of wood and later began doing this.

Malina closed her eyes and began thinking. She had to decide whether she would stay with these people, or go to find out more about her family.

Family... it was a word that was strange and slightly foreign to the young Princess. For most of her life, she had not thought about it. But all of the sudden, it seemed to be important. Just as important as stopping Vaati from whatever he was planning on doing.

The girl was pulled from her thoughts as a large boom was heard from outside. Yuumei stood up quickly, her eyes deadly. "Malina, stay in here. I have a bad feeling about this." Yuumei said and left.

Most people would go out and try to help. Some people would stay back and watch. And there are those very few people that would just stand there and do as they were told. In case you were wondering, Malina was none of the above. She, instead, began singing softly to herself, hoping that she wasn't going to die.

"They say that change is

A fundamental part of the human heart"

"But darling, your soul

It will continue to shine so kindly

Because I love you

You don't ever have to worry

My darling, stay gold"

"Please keep smiling with innocence

Everyday..."

Malina blinked in shock as she saw a light in her hands. It produced a slight wind, causing her hair to wave around frantically. Around her, shadows fled from the bright light. Malina blinked, her crystal eyes changing.

In Hyrule, there is a sign of those that can use magic. Usually, they have violet eyes. Ganondorf was an exception because he was not born with magic; he had to steal the power that he had. Princess Zelda can be an example. She had bright violet eyes.

When someone gains their magic, such as Malina just did, their eyes change colors. The light that she had held in her hands zoomed into Malina, right into her heart. She girl knelt down, closing her eyes tightly. Gaining your magic can be a painful experience, and it turned out to be that way for the young girl.

Some people gain their magic randomly, while others need it. Some gain it because have magic in their blood, and there are some that can sing it. Magic can be created through the arts of music. The two are forever intertwined, like destiny.

Malina opened her eyes slowly, wincing. She glanced down at her hands. They seemed to be the same, and at the same time... different. The girl felt an indescribable surge of power. Power that she had no clue what to do with or how to use. Powerful, and yet helpless.

Glass shattered behind Malina and she glanced back. A creature was coming in. It looked like a shadow... it looked like Impa's shadow. Malina had a bad feeling about that.

**A/N- Sorry for the slightly short chapter, but I didn't want to go any farther than that. Please, R&R.**


	9. Shadows

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, maximushyrule, and Smunchlax. People on this site have interesting names, me included. And, also, anybody out there, I have a poll going right now. Please check it out.**

**Disclaimer- Are you still wondering about that?**

Malina took an automatic step back, her now violet eyes wide. What... what in the world was that? It looked like Impa's shadow, but... wasn't it impossible for shadows to come to life? In this girl's world it was. This thing was breaking all of the rules.

The shadow came forward, its hands outstretched. "Come to me..." It hissed. Chills went up and down Malina's back at this voice. It was cold, slippery, and angry. Now, because Malina was smart, she decided not to go with the shadow. However, she had no means of defending herself, so it seemed that running away was the only option. There was a slight problem, though.

Malina was wearing a skirt.

The shadow jumped at her, and the girl covered her face with her arms. She awaited the severe pain, put only heard a clang noise, like when you hit a metal spoon against a pot. Malina opened one of her eyes slowly and blinked as she saw who was protecting her.

It was that boy... that boy from last night. The one who had seemed to know Yuumei fairly well. What was his name, what was his name... Ceris? Yes, yes, it was Ceris.

He had his sword against the shadow's arm. Ceris gritted his teeth and glanced back at the girl. Take a chance or not? Ah, risk was always more fun than none. Ceris took a step sideways, causing the shadow to nearly fall into Malina. Before the creature could turn around, he grabbed one of its arms and twisted it.

"You are going to tell me what I want to know." Ceris said flatly, putting his sword against the base of the shadow's neck. "And you are going to tell me right now. If you do not, I suppose that you would be fine without a head." Malina's eyes widened at this. He wouldn't really, would he?

"What do you want, boy?" Hissed the shadow creature, who was not struggling at all. Ceris did not answer at first, choosing to slide the blade in even farther. A black, tar-like substance dripped from the wound.

"First of all, I would like you to address me as anything but boy. Swear at me if you must, but I am not a mere boy. Secondly, I want to know who you work for. And, lastly, I would like to know why you were attacking this girl." Malina felt her blood run cold at the last. He was about to find something very interesting out about her.

"Fine, peasant!" The shadow spat angrily. "I work for the sorcerer, Vaati. He ordered the Sage of Shadows to create an army, and if she did not... she would have to find the Princess of Hyrule, and kill her." Malina felt her lip tremble as the red eyes stared at her. That was the worst order that you could probably place on Impa. Impa was entirely devoted to the girl.

"And lastly, the reason why I was after this girl..." It glared at me. "Vaati ordered us to find the Princess and bring her to him. He has something in mind that we do not know about." Ceris frowned as he glanced at Malina.

"Thanks for the info." He said flatly and began cutting deeper into the shadow creature's flesh. It began wildly flailing its arms, screeching.

"I thought that you were going to let me go, boy!" The shadow screamed. "You liar! You filthy, dirty, little liar! Let me go, boy!" Ceris chuckled, moving the sword around a bit in the wound, causing the creature to scream even louder.

"Don't be silly. I never said anything about letting you go. And this way, I'm not going to cut off your head, I'm just going to cut through it." Ceris murmured. Malina closed her eyes quickly, and she heard a sickening squish. Afterwards, the screaming and thumping of limbs stopped. A disgusting scent reached her nose and the Princess thought that she was going to vomit.

Ceris turned to her, his eyes flat and the blood-like liquid dripping off it. "So, you're the Princess, huh? By the way that you act, I never would've thought it." Malina managed a weak smile, covering her nose.

"I think that was the point..." She mumbled. Ceris shrugged and glanced over to the smashed window, as though he wanted to jump out it. He didn't choosing instead to look out it. He then motioned for Malina to stay there and he jumped out. Another sound of one of those creatures dying reached the girl's ears.

He jumped back in, a happy look on his face. "Nothing like a good battle to wake you up in the morning. So, back to this whole Princess thing. Do you want me to tell the others, or do you wanna keep it a secret?" Malina felt slightly confused. She had never guessed that the person that found out would act like this, allowing her to make the decision.

"Um..." She mumbled. "I-I guess that I'd like to keep it a secret for now... I'll tell other people when I'm more ready..." Ceris nodded and grinned.

"Tell me more about this whole Princess thing later, when we're alone, 'kay? In the mean time, Yuumei told me to watch over you. All the shadows have nearly been defeated, so don't worry about my want for blood." Malina nodded slowly and sat down, her eyes wide.

Even though her time in the castle had been boring, she would trade all this adventure and such for a chance to be back to her regular life. Her ordinary, shadow thing free life.

Malina closed her eyes as an annoying buzzing filled her ears. It was loud and seemed to be saying something. But what? It was so hard to understand, like Yuumei when she started speaking in her own language.

_Oh, Malina._ A voice said, breaking through the buzzing and clearing it away. _Dear little Princess, don't be scared. I'll find you, you don't need to worry about that. _Malina's eyes were even wider than before as she realized whose voice it was. _And when I find you, I'll kill you._

"No!" Malina cried, holding onto her head. "No, no, no! Get out of my head, Vaati! Get out, get out!" Ceris blinked as he heard this. He quickly knelt down beside her and put a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Malina?! Malina, what is it? What's going on!?" Malina could not answer, for the voice Vaati was gone, replaced with a great pain. If anyone out there has ever felt a knife in their stomach or chest while the person was twisting it, then you have the pain that Malina was feeling, only in her head instead.

In her head, Malina was lost. It was now dark and she was alone. The whole place... was huge. Malina dove deeper within her mind, desperately searching, but unable to find whatever it was that she was looking for.

Malina blinked as she saw it. A light. She began, within her mind, making her way toward it through the dark. The pain got worse after every step that she took toward it, and Vaati's voice filled every part of her brain. And yet, Malina still made her way towards it.

The moment that the Princess was close enough, she grabbed the light. At her touch, it got brighter and brighter until Malina couldn't see anything. She covered her eyes with arms, but soon that didn't seem to help.

Malina opened her eyes and blinked. She was clutching her head, wincing. Ceris was above her, his face now relived that she had her eyes opened. Malina let go of her head slowly, as thought she was afraid that it would fall apart if she let go.

The pain was gone. And it felt wonderful.

"What happened?" Ceris demanded and the wonderful moment was gone. "All of the sudden you start clutching your head and mumbling stuff about Vaati! And then you lite up some! What was that?!" Malina felt her face turn red before she answered.

"Um... it's hard to explain?" Malina tried.

"No matter how hard it is," Ceris growled. "I expect to know. Otherwise I might tell your secret." Malina felt annoyance pierce her soul. Now he was going to start using that around her to get her to do stuff for him, wasn't he? Just perfect.

"I'll tell you later..." Malina blinked as the impact of a few of his words hit her. "Wait! I lite up!? How did-" Yuumei, Shina, Sparrow, a large Goron, and Marit burst in just then, interrupting their interesting little conversation. Yuumei immediately ran over and checked Malina for wounds and such, which, of course, she had none.

"Thanks for ignoring me!" Ceris stated sarcastically. Yuumei rolled her eyes, and Shina hit him on the head while smiling evilly.

Marit sighed before speaking. "I think that it would be best if we left as soon as possible. If you have not already, put your things on your horse. And also..." He turned to Ceris. "Clean off your sword. It smells like the rear end of a horse."

"What?" Ceris asked innocently. "You don't like this smell?"

"No." Marit said flatly and turned around to face Shina. "Shina, if you have a thousand books, we're not carrying all of them. You can only bring two." The girl, quite suddenly, left. The elderly man rolled his eyes and sighed before leaving with Sparrow to do some last minute things himself.

"Hey, are you ready to leave? I don't think that you did any unpacking, so you're probably all ready to go." Yuumei smiled and Malina nodded, wondering if she should tell this woman her secret. It felt like lying to not to tell...

"This is the start of an adventure, isn't it?" Malina said blankly, staring up at Yuumei. The woman sighed before nodding.

"Unfortunately, yes. I think that some people love adventure, but a lot of people would be better off without it. I'm most likely one of those people." Yuumei smiled softly. "But, personally, I think that it creates tighter bonds in friendship. And you can get more this way. It can be good thing, and it can also be quite interesting."

"Yes, I suppose." Malina murmured. Shina stuck her head in, grinning as usual.

"C'mon, you lazy bums! Let's get going!" She shouted. "We're a goin' on an adventure so we can kill Mr. Vaati, the evil sorcerer!" Yuumei rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes." She turned back to Malina. "Let's do this adventure. Together."

**A/N- Slightly sappy ending, but that's okay. On a random and off side note, today I drew a picture of Shina. For anybody that's played Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, she had Arieth hair! X3 Uh, please R&R.  
**


	10. Camping and More Shadows

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule and maximushyrule! I luv reviews. They make me happy. And Ceris is my favorite character. I'm not sure why, but he just is.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

Vaati flicked his hair, smiling. The person was late. Not unusual, really for his clients to be late, but it was rather annoying anyhow. He glanced down at Impa, who was chained to the wall, but still in the throne room in case he needed her. Daysin was nowhere to be found, much to Vaati's pleasure. He would just make this harder.

A man walked in, his long, black cloak billowing behind himself. The man had dark, red eyes and his brown hair was fringed with gray. He had a large sword at his side and was dressed in chain mail. The man knelt down before Vaati, his eyes closing.

"I am sorry for the delay, my Lord and Master. There is much... going on down in the town. It is difficult to get through all the chaos." Vaati nodded, his face now showing boredom. He absently shined a ring on his shirt before speaking in a voice that matched his face.

"Yes, yes, I am aware of what is going on below my high place on the throne. Now, be silent for a moment whilst I explain what I need you to do." The man nodded, choosing not to speak. "There is a girl that I need you to find. Before yesterday, she wasn't much of a problem. But yesterday... she discovered that she had magic."

Vaati gave a dramatic pause. "This girl also happens to be the Princess of Hyrule. I would love to go after he and just _kill _her, but I do not believe that would be proper. Especially since she has some information that I need. What I would like you to do, Ashrak, is bring her to me. I will deal with her then."

"Master..." Ashrak murmured, half closing his eyes. "If you do not mind me asking, but what does this girl look like? And may I also ask what you want from her?" Vaati turned to the man, his eyes showing irritation, but he answered calmly.

"She most likely has violet eyes. If not, then she has red. I sincerely doubt that, though. She has brown hair and freckles. Her skin is pale and she will probably have a ribbon in her hair. The ribbon is pink. The girl's name is Malina, and she's thirteen as of about a week ago." The man quickly nodded.

"And also, sir..."

"That girl knows where the Book of Wisdom is." Vaati said flatly. "Somewhere in the back of her mind, somewhere in her deepest memories that no one can find, she knows where that book is. And it will also be likely that she knows where the Book of Courage is. I hadn't realized this until a few days ago, otherwise I would already have the Book of Wisdom, and perhaps the Book of Courage. Now go and find her."

Ashrak nodded and stood up. "I will bring her back, sir. Even if it happens to be with my dying breath, I will bring her back." Vaati smiled, but annoyance was still playing in his eyes.

"I do hope that you come back alive, Ashrak. It's fairly hard to find sorcerers these days, especially ones that will be on my side. Don't fail me." Vaati turned away from the other, a cold smile frozen on his face. The instant he heard the doors shut, he walked over to Impa.

"Don't you wish that you could move? Or that you had some power over me?" Vaati murmured. "Don't you wish that you could save your dear little Princess?" Impa hung her head in shame. It was terrible how helpless she felt.

* * *

Malina glanced up, her face burning. It was night right now, and Ceris had demanded her to tell him everything about her life. About the night were everything had gone wrong. What it was like to live like she did.

"To be honest, I hated it." Malina whispered. The two were alone in front of the campfire. Ceris was watching out for enemies and such. He had awoken her, insisting that no one was awake so they could talk freely, just be a little quiet about it so that no one woke up.

"Why?" Ceris asked blankly and the fire popped. Malina bowed her head, tears coming to her eyes as she thought about Impa's body, laying there. Was she alive? Was she okay?

"It was... just not for me, I guess. I had wear lots of jewelry and fancy dresses and sneeze into silk handkerchiefs and be surrounded by guards all of the time and learn lots of unhelpful things and... I didn't really have any real friends." Malina pulled her knees up to her chin, tears still threatening to burst from her eyes.

"Hey... are you crying? Why are you crying?" Ceris asked stupidly and Malina laughed shakily, wiping away her tears.

"I-I'm just thinking about my only friend. Her name was Impa, and... the night that Vaati came along... she tried to save me, but... I don't know whether or not that she's alive... he blasted her with this thing..." Ceris frowned for a moment, slightly confused.

"But... that shadow thing said that the Sage of Shadows had created him, right? So... isn't this Impa person the Sage of Shadows?" Malina stared stupidly at him before she finally answered in a single syllable.

"Huh?"

"Well..." Ceris began slowly. "It's a long story, and I'd rather learn more about you before I start explaining it all. What was Vaati like? I've heard stories about him, but I've never met the guy or seen him in his cell!" Malina shuddered at the question before answering.

"He was awful. He had violet hair and red eyes. He was wearing this big, black cloak and had a staff. The staff looked like it was made from wood, but I didn't get a very good look at it. It also had this black crystal on it... oh, and he had a book. It was really big and red." Malina said, fear creeping into her voice.

"A... book? How odd..." Ceris murmured. "I guess that's enough for tonight. You better get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day." Malina nodded and stood up, her thoughts elsewhere than what they had been talking about.

Where, you might be wondering. Well, she was thinking about Ceris, and how wonderful his hair was.

* * *

"Wake up!" Shina hissed, shaking the young girl. "Malina, wake up! You can't just sit here and sleep all day! There are more shadow things attacking camp and we have to get you out of here! They're after you for some reason!" Malina's eyes shot open and she sat up quickly.

Then the scent reached her nose. The smell that those creature's blood made. Malina quickly stood up and slipped her boots on. Shina grabbed Malina's wrist and ran outside of the tent. There were, indeed shadows outside and the others were battling them.

Yuumei's weapon was finally known to everyone. She had a large saber, and was handling it fairly well. Yuumei smiled softly at Malina, whose eyes were wide. After doing that, she stabbed one of the shadows in the stomach and twisted, causing blood spurt from it. Malina felt sickened and hurried a little faster.

One of the shadows came up from the ground in front of the two and Malina couldn't contain a squeak. Shina put her hands into fists and she kicked the thing in the chin, making a disgusting crack noise. She kicked the thing in the chest, causing it to fall down.

"Come on, kid!" Shina cried in annoyance, pulling Malina even harder. A voice came out of the air, and Malina recognized it with a chill.

"Don't let the girl escape! Ignore the others, just capture her!" Vaati sent his voice. Marit blinked in shock at hearing this, and the shadow abandoned the axe wielding man. The other shadows did the same, going after Malina.

Shina brought her hands up in a defensive position, but felt slight despair. They were surrounded, and she couldn't possibly take out all of those shadows... there had to be at least fifty and more were being made all the time. Malina was having similar thoughts.

Malina quickly closed her eyes and found her magic. It wasn't as hard as the first time, in which she had Vaati's magic blocking her own. Malina sighed, as she glanced about. There had to be something that she could use. Something that her magic would use and... oh! The earth!

Malina knelt down and touched the ground. _Pull it up, pull it up, pull it up!_ Malina thought to herself, drawing her fingers up. The ground around her did the same, and the thirteen-year-old smiled. Time to have some fun of her own.

"Get close to me." Malina said flatly, indicating to Shina. The girl did so, dodging a blow. Shina couldn't help but wonder how in the world that the girl was doing that... meanwhile, Malina was having her own thoughts. Like picturing what she wanted to happen.

Malina clenched her fist and, as soon as she felt Shina was close, unclenched them. The bits of rock and dirt went flying everywhere, knocking the shadows into each other with the force of it. Little holes were now in the shadows. Malina knelt down and repeated the process. Sweat began to show on her brow as she felt the magic take its toll.

Finally, a new idea came to Malina. She brought her hands up, and then down. A huge pitfall was created, trapping all of the shadows. Malina brought her hands together, and the pitfall filled itself in. For a few minutes, no one moved, as though waiting for the creatures to come back up. They didn't.

Marit walked over to Malina, his face grim. "We need to have a little talk, miss."

**A/N- I wanted to make it longer, but I have to get off soon. Ah, well. Please, R&R.**


	11. Talking and Newcomers

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, darthritter86, and maximushyrule. I already replied to you, darthritter86. **

**Disclaimer- I still don't own Zelda or Deep River or Dareka No Negai Ga Kanau Koro , believe it or not.**

"W-what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Marit?" Malina asked, biting her bottom lip fiercely and sitting down inside the tent. It was quite natural for her to be frightened, but quite annoying. She didn't want to talk to this elderly man about... her magic.

And yet, she could still remember the rush of power that had flowed through her. The Princess remembered the feeling of being entirely unstoppable, to have the ability to do anything that pleased her. That small moment in which she didn't care about anything or anyone else besides herself.

Malina know felt guilty about even thinking such things, but she wanted to feel that power again. It had been amazing. However, even the young girl was unsure whether or not she could handle that sort of power. It seemed fairly unlikely.

Marit turned to her a slight scowl on his withered face. "What in the world was that? How did you use that magic and when did you get it?! Tell me now!"

Malina couldn't help but wince under his glare. "I-I don't really know..." She mumbled, knowing that this wasn't true. The elderly man seemed to notice the fact that she was lying, for when he spoke again, it was more of a snarl.

"Don't lie to me, girly! You better tell me what's going on. I don't like things going on that I don't know about." Malina whimpered before seeing tears blur her vision.

Marit felt himself softening and he knelt down before her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He stared into her eyes. "Now, listen. It's very important for me to know these things. When exactly did you get these powers?"

"The same day that we left Kakariko..." Malina whispered and tried to brush her tears away. "I-I don't..." He shook his head and put a finger on her lips.

"Sh. It's okay. Now, I'd like to know something that might be personal about you. I want to know what part that you have in all of this. You are obviously quite important to Vaati, and I need to know why." Malina felt a stab of horror pierce her heart, but she knew that she would have to tell him who she was.

"That... night. The night that Vaati came back... I was there. It was my birthday." Malina whispered, trying not to think about Impa's still body. "We were having a party. And then Vaati showed up out of the blue... and he had a book."

Marit nodded slowly and Malina continued. "A staff came from the book and he used it to knock out my... friend, Mistress Impa. Actually, I-I'm not sure if it was just being knocked out..." She felt tears come to her eyes, and she wiped them away bitterly with her sleeve.

Marit took her hand gently and spoke slowly. "I have another question for you. What did the book look like?"

Malina closed her eyes tightly, trying to remember what it looked like. All she could remember about it was that it was red. A deep, blood red. And it was made from leather. Malina reported that and Marit seemed to tighten up at this. He then brushed it off and sighed.

"Is there anything else that you'd like to tell me before I ask a thousand questions?" Marit asked softly, but it sounded slightly strained. Malina shook her head and he swore for a moment before speaking again. "I'm taking it that you're the Princess, then? It would make sense since you have magic and none of the others in the nobles of Hyrule do. None of them besides the royalty."

The girl managed a nod and the man sighed.

A song floated out to them and Malina recognized Yuumei's voice. She was singing in Hylian right now, which she usually did not.

"Connecting point to point;  
Drawing lines with my finger.  
Is the road I've came down my true destination?"

"Line to line, we link together  
Before long, everyone arrives at the sea  
And will become one. That's why I'm not scared"

"Oh oh, flowing through  
Countless rivers  
You don't have to accept everything  
Oh oh, with the name you're given  
Without ever asking 'why'?  
Our pain just now flew away."

"We weren't entrusted with swords  
Just so we'd know how they sound when they clash.  
Who can protect you from this kind of contradiction?"

"Oh oh, you change shape so many times  
Floating down before me  
Today I'm looking for you.  
Oh oh, you don't have to be accepted  
Everywhere. Everyone was blessed with a blade  
Called 'individuality'"

"Oh oh, sometimes the riverflow changes  
You don't have to accept everything  
Oh oh, with the name you're given  
Without having anything.  
The birds facing against the  
Sea breeze just flew away."

Marit sighed. "She knew that we were having an important conversation, didn't she?" It seemed to be more of a rhetorical question, so Malina chose not to answer. Marit, after saying this, left the tent, indicating that the girl should follow, which she did.

"We'll talk more later, yes?" Marit murmured and walked away. Malina glanced around the camp site and noticed that almost everyone seemed to be examining her with a new and slightly fearful look. The only three that weren't, were Marit, Yuumei, and Ceris. However, Ceris did give her a knowing look that told her to sit next to him.

Malina sat next to him, and, much to her surprise, he did not ask what had happened in there. He remained silent. In fact, the entire camp was silent.

It was so strange.

The next morning, they left as usual and the silence that had been weighing on their shoulders all of yesterday was gone. Marit had announced that they were going to a secret place that none of them could speak of after seeing. It was for those people that were in the Knights of Night only.

After he said this, everyone looked at Malina, who chose to remain silent all through this conversation. Each day was becoming increasingly more awkward for her. It was a horrible moment in time for her. It would, she knew, soon pass.

The horse that Malina was on was a slightly old mare, nothing like her dear Lait. The simple thought of him brought back the memory of him lying there, bleeding and broken, nothing like she had wanted him to be. He had been a free spirit, not to tethered by such things as a mortal body. And yet, he had been.

Horror filled Malina's eyes as she thought about her dear, strong, wonderful horse. When she had imagined him dying, it had been in a great fight with many other deaths, not in this brutal and simple way of his death.

Malina closed her eyes and angrily brushed away a tear. There was no way that she would start crying, not here, not now. A hand lightly touched her shoulder and Malina glanced up to see the chocolate eyes staring at her. Ceris.

Within a moment, he took his hand away and looked down, his face slightly red. Malina couldn't help but look away and smile slightly to herself.

For a while, they rode in silence, unable to think of anything to say. However, after a while, Sparrow brought out his bow and arrow, nodding anxiously to Marit, who frowned in slight confusion. The younger man jerked his head towards the bushes that were all along the sides of the narrow path they were on.

"Is someone out there?" Marit shouted, his face anxious but his words strong. No one answered if they were out there. Sparrow sighed and murmured something to his father before jumping off his horse. He walked over to the bushes and went through them.

Marit held up his hand, indicating a halt. Everyone stopped and watched the bushes with anxiety, wondering what sort of thing would jump out at them. Ceris seemed to take an automatic position in front of Malina.

"As the small earth rotates, I learn to be more kind

I want to hug you once more, as soft as I can..."

Yuumei sang softly to herself, a hand on her chest. The look in her eyes was unrecognizable to Malina. It was a look of pain, hurt, softness, affection, and even loss. It seemed that there was more to this happy woman than she let on most of the time.

Shina glanced at Malina and gave a sad smile. For the first time, the girl wondered what she was doing here. These people... she didn't know anything about them. They could be enemies for all that she knew. And yet... they were the only things that she could hang onto.

After a moment, Sparrow came out. Behind him were two people, both women. Malina blinked as she recognized both of them. Miss Malon and Delila. They were nobles in her court, being that Malon was the proud owner of Lon Lon Ranch and her daughter was the girl that was going to inherit it.

Oh, and one more thing. Delila hated Malina with the burning fury of a thousand suns and felt more jealously toward the girl than was believed to be possible.

**A/N- More later. Review now.**


	12. Strange Happenings

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86, maximushyrule, and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. It makes me feel happy to see so many reviews. However, I'd just like to say that I do not have any Mary Sues. I might later, in other stories, but the person will be called Keroanne or Altrina or something like that. Okay?**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda or Dareka No Negai Ga Kanau Koro  
**

"Everyone," Sparrow said softly. "These two are ladies from the palace that didn't get there in time for Vaati's arrival. When they did get there, though, the castle was already taken over. Vaati killed all of their guards and such. They, most likely, wish to join us."

To be honest, Malina was surprised. You'd think that Vaati had just killed them. It seemed to be the most likely choice. However, that was not the only thing that the young Princess was surprised by. That was the longest statement that she had ever heard Sparrow say. Quite... interesting.

The others seemed to be the same. Ceris's face showed nothing, as usual, however. He seemed to be quite an expressionless boy, and that was rather annoying to Malina. She was used to everyone's feelings be shown through their faces and voices.

"It is wonderful to find some hospitality." Delila said in a sugar-sweet tone, smiling tightly. "I am ever so glad, aren't you, Mother?"

"Yes, dear." Malon said absently, examining everyone with care and preciseness. Many people thought of Malon as a simple farm woman who had craved a knight in shining armor. However, Malina had spent an afternoon with her and come to know that this woman was not all that she appeared. She was very smart and considered one of the smartest women in the castle, besides Malina, of course.

Delila was beautiful, might I add. Her long, rich, red hair flowed down her back as a waterfall. Her sea-green eyes reflected not much besides a sort of want that only the death of two people could give her. Her skin was pale and had no markings on it. Many considered her to be the most amazing woman in all of Hyrule.

Malina was, quite honestly, not one of those people. She was one of the very few people that saw the murderous look in her eyes. The only other two were Mistress Impa and Lord Jine. The murderous look in her eyes was a want for the death of Malina and Lord Jine, so her mother could step up to take over the throne, making her the Princess of Hyrule.

Malina didn't understand why Delila hated her so much.

The girl's thoughts were interrupted by Yuumei. "Oh my, what a beautiful child." The raven-haired woman exclaimed, touching Delila gently. The sixteen-year-old smiled gently, but she glanced at Shina, hoping for some jealousy. If Shina felt any, she did not show it.

"Thank you, I..." Delila trailed off upon seeing Malina. The moment she saw the girl, there was a look of absolute hatred and insane frustration. Malina almost wanted to shrink back from the girl and run away as far away as possible. Of course, that devious young woman had thought of something before anyone could notice the glare.

"Mother! Look who it is! The Princess! What in the world could she be doing here?" Delila grabbed her mother's sleeve, her mouth in a feigned O. Malon followed her daughter's eyes to Malina. The younger girl's eyes held desperation. A desperation of not wanting to be found out. Which, obviously, Delila wanted her to be found out, wanting everything upon the girl that the Princess did not want.

For an instant, the whole group felt the tense pressure that had been placed between all of us. Each of them had a different reaction to it. Shina seemed to be the most effected, however. Her eyes turned into steel gates and she gritted her teeth. It was a rather frightening moment, but, finally, Malon spoke.

"Do not be silly, dear. The Princess was killed, you know that." Delila's eyes widened at this in anger. Her own mother had decided not to stay with her. Delila glared with fierce intensity at Malina, who bit her lip hard and ended up tasting the metallic taste of blood. Ceris put his horse in front of the Princess, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but we must keep up with schedule." Marit said flatly, breaking the tension slightly. "You are free to travel with us, but I must warn you that there will be dangers. If you choose to join us, you must be careful and listen to what we say."

"Of course we shall." Malon said, her voice as smooth as ever. "We are just happy to find other people to travel with, right, Delila?" The teenager nodded stiffly, and suddenly broke out into a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry, girl. You look a lot like the Princess." Delila said, her voice as sugary as it had been the first time she had spoken to them. "It's just that, the Princess was a good friend of mine. I will never be able to accept that she died. It so... impossible, yes?" Malina nodded, her nod as stiff as Delila's had been a moment before.

As they continued on their way, Malina began to think. Why had Miss Malon defended her? Her and Miss Malon barely knew each other. She would just have to ask the older woman why. And soon, as well.

That day, they managed to get to Hyrule Field. Quite a bit of progress, but it would take them all day the next day just to get across it. That thought bothered Malina, for everyday they spent traveling was another day that Vaati had control over Hyrule. Another chance for him to kill her.

Malina shook those thoughts out of her mind and jumped off her horse. Everyone else was beginning to set up their tents. Now Malina would have to share with someone due to the two unexpected people that were added to their group. Malina could only pray that it was Yuumei.

As Malina helped set up the tents, she felt someone staring at her. Much to her surprise, it was not Delila. Neither was Ceris. It was Shina, whose eyes were still the same as before in their coldness. The instant Shina saw that Malina had noticed her looking back, the elder girl looked away and began tying a knot extra tight, her hands shaking slightly for some reason. Malina walked over to the her and tapped her back. Shina turned back, her eyes on fire.

"Yes?! May I help you?" Malina blinked in shock, having completely not expected this. The girl began to stutter, her face turning bright red. Shina tapped her foot on the ground, folding her arms. After a moment, Ceris walked over to see what was going on.

"Shina..." He murmured softly. "What's wrong? Come on... Malina, you stay here. I'll take care of this." Malina felt a slight annoyance as he walked away with his arms about her shoulders. It did not last long, however, as Malina felt some new annoyance at the fact that she couldn't help herself very well. Always afraid, that was her.

Malina turned her back to the departing two, squaring her shoulders slightly. Yuumei gave the younger girl a slight smile and, as she walked by to her tent, took her hand. Malina couldn't help but wonder why she was doing that, and what she obviously wanted to talk about.

"What is it, Yuumei?" Malina asked softly. Yuumei smiled and lifted one finger, indicating to give her a moment. The elder woman knelt before one of her bags, sifting through it. After a moment, it appeared that she had found what she had been looking for. Yuumei hid whatever it was behind her back.

"I'd just like to say that no matter who you are, I'd like to consider you as my friend." Yuumei said. "It's... a bit important what I'm about to give you. In my people, it ensures absolute trust. And I trust you that no matter what you say, no matter what you do, no matter who you are, I'll consider you as a friend for life. However... I would ask of you not to take it off."

Yuumei gave Malina a bracelet. It was simple, unlike all of the types of jewelry that the young Princess had received before. A black string with a few white beads were all that it was. On the beads, no intricate designs, just the same mark over and over again.

"I don't expect you to tell me who you are." Yuumei stated. "It's just that... I'd like you to be a good friend of mine through all time. I must admit something, though..." Yuumei cleared her throat, scratching it lightly. "Perhaps a bit later, though?"

"That's... okay?" Malina replied, slightly confused. Yuumei didn't seem like one who lie. Not to mention, this whole friends forever was slightly sudden. Was Malina sure that she wanted to friends with someone like Yuumei forever? True, the woman was very sweet and kind, but... there was something about her. Something that Malina couldn't place.

The two walked out and Malina absently scratched her hand where the bracelet was now. It felt slightly strange on her hand. Like... different. And there was that noise that was in her head now. What was it?

Malina's thoughts were interrupted by the wonderful scent of stew. Everyone else was already sitting near the fire, awaiting for the food to be done. Except, of course, Delila who would never stoop down to that level. She did, however, take a glance over to it once it a while.

Sparrow seemed to be slightly annoyed by the fact that everyone was all around him while he was cooking. Sparrow had learned to cook from his mother when he was very young, and his father thought that it was completely unmanly at the time. However, now he thought that it was of the best things that Sparrow's mother had taught him, seeing as no one else could cook here.

Shina gave Malina a look of daggers and promptly put her legs on the empty spot beside her. Ouch. It seemed that the elder girl still had not forgiven her for whatever it was that she had done.

However, upon seeing her, Malon gave a soft smile and patted next to her. Malina walked over and sat nervously beside the woman. Malon did not speak, but seemed to just be enjoying... where she was right now.

Sparrow, after a moment, brought out the bowls that he had packed. He passed them around and paused at Yuumei. His face said nothing, but his eyes said much, much more. The woman smiled at him and whispered something. He nodded and went back to the stew, leaving Malina wondering what had just passed between them.

The stew was warm and comforting. Slices of vegetables and meat floated about in it. Without really knowing why, Malina used her magic to pick out every little piece of meat that was in there. It seemed so... disgusting and barbaric to eat something as such.

"Why did you just do that?" Marit asked from the other side of the fire. Malina stared blankly at him before she answered.

"I'm not really sure." Malina answered, staring at her stew. "Usually I love meat, but... I don't want to eat it. It's like eating something that was once alive, something that once had feelings." The girl shuddered. "It seems so cruel."

"Don't mind it." Yuumei said, taking another spoonful of the stew. "Most people of her... type have the same reaction after becoming as they are. Every single person that I've met that's like her refuses to eat or touch any meat. You see, they become more tuned with the life of what's around them. To them, it seems evil to even kill an animal, especially after they learn how to transform and talk to animals. It's rather interesting."

Malina wanted to scream, but that wasn't really proper. After that, everyone became silent due to the explanation. They were all thinking about what had happened yesterday, except Delila and Malon who weren't there.

Yuumei sighed as she finished. She looked out to the sunset and began a story, as she did one night before. "There is a land that is nigh impossible to get to." She began. "It is said that you can only get there through a mirror. In all of my travels, I have neither seen this mirror, nor the place. It was one of my goals, however, as I crossed over into this land. I still believe that one day, someone shall find it, and when they do, it will cause much chaos and strife in the land. So, I do hope that none shall ever find it."

That story was quite a bit shorter than the last one, but it was more of a rumor than a story. It also seemed silly and impossible that you could get anywhere by using a mirror. Did you go into the mirror? It made no sense whatsoever, so Malina was unsure whether or not she wished to believe it.

All of them waited in silence for Yuumei's voice. She had told Malina that every time she told a story, she would sing her favorite song.

"I've lost something important because of small things

The cold ring showed its glimmer to me

I said, "All I need is today," but that wasn't the case

The door to you vanished without a sound"

"The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But still, I want you to stay, and I always did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

That way the door won't make a sound"

"I wanted to be the only who could heal you, who is needed by all,

And I've endured it a little too much"

"To wish for own happiness is not selfish, right?

If that's so, I want to hold you as tight as I can

When my tears dry up, she'll be crying

That way, the ground under us won't dry up"

"The more I wish for your own happiness, the more selfish I become

But you never hold me back, you never did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

Everyone's wishes can't be granted at once"

"As the small earth rotates, I learn to be more kind

I want to hug you once more, as soft as I can..."

As the sound of her voice drifted off into the dark night, Malina felt her eyes begin to close. She wasn't tired, but it felt like someone was trying to knock her out. That noise that was in her head, seemed to be even louder than before.

Malina clutched her head and felt herself fall over. Someone, or maybe more than one person, cried out as she fell. That was, however, the last thing that was on Malina's mind at the moment. Her entire mind seemed to be shrouded in darkness, without a single light.

The young girl tried to make her way through, to find her magic, to find a single light... but nothing came.

**A/N- I have a poll on my profile, so go check it out. And, if you can, review.**


	13. Memories of Darkness

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86, maximushyrule, and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. Right now, I'm working on making the chapters longer with a larger vocabulary.  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda or Dareka No Negai Kanau Koro  
**

Vaati closed his eyes, concentrating hard. Stupid brat. She was putting much too much up for a fight. How he wished that he could just kill her and be done with it, but, unfortunately for him, she knew something that he wanted more than almost anything.

That brat knew, somwhere within her memories, where the Book of Wisdom was.

Vaati knew that if he invaded her mind and took a look around, he would eventually find that certain memory. However, that brat was fighting back fairly hard. She was using her magic to keep him away, so Vaati knew that he would have to get rid of that. If not, that brat would figure out a way to get rid of him, which was not part of the plan, believe it or not.

For an instant, Vaati was brutally shoved from her mind. The man swore violently under his breath, wiping his persperated head. A man from his guard snorted under his breath and murmured to another guard, "I thought this guy was supposed to be ultra powerful."

Vaati turned to them, his eyes a burning red fire of hatred. The man recoiled at this, and even more so at Vaati's snarl. "Oh, yes? I would pay to see you do any better. This girl has immense power, but I won't lose to her. I will never lose to these fools, especially not this brat." He turned back to his staff which was upon a stand, allowing Vaati's hands to be free. A rather helpful littlle thing, even if many people thought of it as useless, Vaati did not.

_"Heski no gamma Nakasht_..." Vaati hissed under his breath, some spittle flying from his mouth. A darkness enveloped him in a tight circle. Vaati pressed his magic further within her mind, pushing even the darkness in. A thought came to Vaati, and he quickly did as the thought went.

He sealed her within her own mind and sent even more darkness within. It was, in fact, so dark that none could find their way, not even Vaati could find his way through it, and Vaati had been through a lot of darkness. In those eleven years, he had been sealed into darkness by Queen Zelda for trying to steal her book. The Book of Wisdom.

Vaati shook his head quickly, and began sifting through her memories. That brat was so lost within her mind, that she seemed not to notice him doing so. After a moment, she finally did, but she did not do anything about it.

Vaati easily flickered through the memories, trying to find that one certain one. There were thousands of memories, one for every day. There was one about a rainy day that she spent inside, drowsing on Impa's lap whilst she was small. Another when she had tried to explain that she loved singing more than she loved history. Another when she found a ladybug upon her pillow and played with it all that night. Meaningless memories that only fools were able to have.

Yet, somewhere within his own mind, Vaati found these mildly interesting. She had been raised to be an innocent. What had that been like, to not know everyday what had happened to your family? What had it been like to not know about her parents, and to only cry because she did not understand why a butterfly that had flown into her room and died? What would it be like to live that kind of life?

No... it was better this way. Although some of us dream about that sort of thing so we can no longer feel any pain and only feel happiness, Vaati felt that it was better to know about these sort of thing than to not. It was better to not be innocent.

One memory caught his attention. Zelda was gently rocking Malina and singing a song that seemed to have no purpose other than to comfort. The baby was beginning to fall into a sort of half-drowse. It was a sweet, sweet memory. One that Vaati hated. He wished, for a moment, that he had been able to have been there with Zelda and looking into the face of his future enemy, the face... of that brat.

Vaati sighed and brushed that memory away. He had been thinking too much lately. Right now, more than anything, he needed to focus on his duty. His duty to take that memory and put it towards his own reasons. When he thought of that way, however, it sounded so selfish...

The red eyed man swore angrily under his breath. What was he thinking? A thought suddenly and forcefully pressed itself in Vaati's face. That was right. If you spent too much time in the person's body or paid too much attention to their memories, you would begin to act and think like them. At least, that was what Vaati's old master had taught him.

Vaati began searching even more rapidly. He had to find it. If not... then he would end up being a goody-goody, just like that brat. The memory was locked tightly within her mind, lost in many folds of her mind. Vaati pushed through them, and blinked. At the end of all it... there was nothing. How could she not know? Everyone remembers everything, it just becomes harder to find the more that you don't think about it. But this... it was impossible for her not to remember it completely.

"You idiot!" Vaati shouted, his face turning a slight shade of red. "How do you not know?! Your mother showed you where it was! I know that you know where the Book of Wisdom is! Show me the memory!" That was not was Vaati received.

"Vaati..." Malina's voice crooned through the darkness. "You took your eyes off me, Vaati... that wasn't too smart of you, Vaati. I thought that you were smart, Vaati... I guess that I was wrong, Vaati."

The man's face paled as he realized the mistake that he had made. He had left her all alone and paid no attention to her. And now... that brat had obviously found her magic. But how was that possible? He had used the blackest night, the darkest darkness that he could come up with. How was it possible that she found her way through it?

"Vaati... I would like my brain to have only one person in it. And, as you can see, I can easily kick you out. However, I don't have to, Vaati. You can always leave. I'll let you leave, Vaati. It's your choice. Get kicked out or leave, Vaati."

Vaati's eyes darkened at both thoughts. If he left, it meant that he thought that she was too powerful for him to take on, and she could easily take it that way. She might think that she was very powerful and lower their defenses... or she might just highten them. It was slightly risky, so Vaati pondered his other choice, to get, as she so roughly had put it, 'get kicked out.' Not very appealing either.

At least his men would know that he went out trying. That... no. This was not a good option either. If he got kicked out, that would have his men know that he was not quite as powerful as he said. And that... Vaati shuddered at even the thought of his men, taunting him. Especially that man that had doubted him before. He would have even more doubt, and, most likely, spread it around. His men doubting him was almost as bad as that brat coming back and having the Book of Wisdom. But not quite.

"Have you quite decided yet?" That brat asked, being obviously quite impatient. But Vaati could not blame her. If he was in her position, he would have most likely done the same thing... ah, the magic where he turned into her in a sense was beginning to make it's way.

"No, but-" Vaati began, wanting to explain that these sorts of things took time, as he did when deciding anything, including what to wear that day. That brat had no such patience.

"I don't care! If you shall not leave on your own, I shall force you to do so!" The brat exclaimed. "Be away, fool!"

Vaati blinked as a bright light came from somewhere. For an instant, he saw what he was looking for. She had locked it away in her heart, and that was why he had been unable to find it. It was not enough for him to be able to tell where it was, but it was enough to see Malina's wide eyes as she looked at the pages on the book.

Even as the bright light surrounded Vaati, he smiled and laughed. A laugh that was crazed, not one that was filled with humor. It was the only thing that he could do. That brat had gotten a look at the Book of Wisdom, and could now remember it. This was a large fall-back that Vaati hadn't even begun to consider. It was... impossible to explain, and the most horrible thing that could have ever wormed itself into his equation. It meant, for Vaati, that he would soon die.

And that thought was why he was laughing.

Even as the black magic circle around Vaati fell, he still laughed, his eyes no longer firey. All of his guards, all of his maids, and Impa stared at the man, trying to make some sense of the insane laugh that was pouring forth. However, none could make sense of what he was laughing about until he spoke, hands shaking and his eyes full of more fear than Vaati had ever felt during his life.

"That little brat... she has seen the book. She has seen the Book of Wisdom." Vaati looked up, his eyes haunted. "She knows it's secrets. She remembers them now. She will kill me. She will find me and kill me. That brat will find me and kill me. I am going to die." Everyone stared in shock at this announcement, and, after a moment, one of his guards spoke out.

"Sir... did you find it? Do you know where it is?" Vaati turned from the guards and looked up, his eyes wide and full of fear. That book held all of the wisdom of the world... if Zelda had shown it to a mere child, what could happen? How old was the brat? Would she have the guts to kill Vaati?

"No." Vaati answered softly. "I don't believe I do. And if I did, I would certainly not tell you. That girl... that brat... I never suspected that Zelda would show her the book. I knew that Zelda had shown it to her, just the fact that it was a book and all, but I never thought that the woman would think this far ahead and allow the brat to see what is upon those sacred pages. Unbelievable. I must, now more than ever, find that girl. This time, though, I must capture her."

Vaati turned to face one of the maids. "Find a messenger, and send this message to Ashrak. He needs to not kill the girl, only find her and bring her to me. Even with her even more so enhanced powers, I need him to find a way to capture her. As long as she's alive, I really don't care how he does so." The maid nodded and bowed, leaving to find what he asked.

Vaati walked to his throne and sat upon it. His eyes were a violent red at the thought of that girl. Something was different about her... while she had spoke, it had not held that fear Vaati was so used to. She had held a voice that seemed to be more... mature. Not that simple little girl that he knew.

The thought amused Vaati and he removed one of his rings. He began absently twirling it between his finger, brows furrowed. His red eyes flickered momentarily to the ring. It was gold with a large ruby in the middle and intricate designs layered the part around it. It was beautiful, and didn't seem as girly as most rings would. No, the band was too thick to be woman's ring. Vaati held the ring between his two forefingers for but a moment longer before he slipped it back on his finger.

There was only one question that floated within Vaati's mind. When would he die? It seemed... too soon for his taste. Too soon to have to give up the power that he currently had. Once again, his eyes flickered to his ring. What was so special about it that it kept drawing his attention? Why couldn't Vaati remember where he had gotten it?

He had been looking through other people's memories, when he couldn't even remember some of his own. Vaati had worn that ring as long as he could remember, yet whenever he saw it, he thought about the past. Someone very important to him and given it to him. A gift that he would cherish forever. One that he had worn since the day that he had gotten.

That brat... why did his mind go to her when he stared at it after a while?

* * *

Torture. It was pure torture for Malina. Being alone in this darkness. For an instant, she wished that she had not sent Vaati away. Any company would have been better than none. But... no. She couldn't. He was pure evil that she preferred not to even think about. _Yes, yes, let's think of other things..._ Malina thought to herself, trying to bring her mind away from the evil man that currently filled her mind.

Malina lay there, instilled in the darkness. It was seemingly impossible, even with the help of her magic, to get out of her own mind when she had been sealed there by someone else, namely Vaati. Perhaps she could do something about it later, but for now she was stuck.

In this time, Malina had begun to review things that had happened to her. Everything to her birth to now. To her surprise, there was a man in her memories everytime from birth to age two. Who was he? She could not say because he was shrouded in a sort of darkness. She had blocked him out it appeared.

The only thing that Malina could remember about this man was that she had loved him very much. He was constantly beside her, telling stories and whispering little jokes that only she would get. A secret treat when she was not supposed to be eating anything. A kiss on the cheek everytime that she went to sleep. A rose on her birthday. He was someone that had dissapeared from her life quite suddenly and painfully.

Malina remembered it...

* * *

_"Mommy, Mommy!" Malina cried, looking around the room. "Whewe is he? Whewe is he? I wanna know! He gaved me dis wose and den he wend away..." Malina held the rose and looked up into her mother's wise face._

_"Honey... he had to go away. He told me that he loved you very much, but he had to go away."_

_Malina's face turned pale and her eyes widened as she stared up at her mother. "No... NO!"_

* * *

Malina pressed the memory out of her mind quickly. That was then. This was now. She would most likely not be able to remember that man, and would never meet him again. He was amazing, though. He had a way of calming her down when the worst case scenario had reared it's ugly head.

Too bad he wasn't here now.

The thirteen-year-old closed her eyes and sighed. It was so tiring... using her magic. And not to mention remembering all of those things at once. She knew that she would be able to use them to her advantage. Especially remembering that time where her mother had allowed her a look into the Book of Wisdom. A great opportunity, indeed.

Malina allowed herself to begin drifting in those memories. Those lovely memories. Anything from her mother holding her to a day that Impa would tell her stories to when Yuumei sang to even when she had been in that state of peace where all she had to do was sit around and listen to what elderly men had to say about the world. Ah...lovely and boring at the same time... and even, in some cases, a bit sad.

A thought hit Malina at one point. She could remember anything that she wanted to. Except, of course, that man. This talent could be useful as time went on. She smiled softly as she lay there in the darkness.

If you can picture someone under water and completely stretched out, not struggling at all, you would have what it was like for Malina, stretched out in the nothingness of the darkness, completely alone. You might think that it would be rather lonely, and you would be right. It was.

Malina closed her eyes and thought about that song that she sang when she was younger. The one that she sang until this adventure had really begun. It was rather silly now that Malina thought about it. And yet... it seemed to make sense for the life that she had been living back then. The one that Yuumei loved seemed to fit more so now than that other one. Unconsciously, she began singing it to herself.

"I've lost something important because of small things

The cold ring showed its glimmer to me

I said, "All I need is today," but that wasn't the case

The door to you vanished without a sound"

"The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become

But still, I want you to stay, and I always did

When someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying

That way the door won't make a sound..."

**A/N- Ah, there we go. Please, R&R.**


	14. A New Master

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86 maximushyrule and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. The man will be revealed later! Like, at the end! Along with a lot of other crap... And, also, Malina will be thrown down from her high place around the end of this chapter! BWA HA HA!  
**

**Disclaimer- And you think I'm crazy.**

Malina wasn't quite awake. She was close, but not quite. It was the sense where you could hear and think, and yet you could not open your eyes and move. A sense that Malina didn't mind at the moment, as long as she could hear at least some things.

The bed that she was on was terribly comfortable. She sunk in slightly, but not too much. There was only a light cover over Malina, but it was mostly needed for comfort. It was fairly humid wherever she happened to be, and the light clothes that she was wearing seemed to be made from a sort of ultra thin linen.

Around her, there was the steady sound of water falling, but not a lot, and only it was only in one area. It was a waterfall. A few birds could be heard, trilling and whistling all of the way to wherever they happened to be going. Occasionally, Malina would hear the steps of someone coming into the room. However, after a few minutes passed, the person would leave. It was as though they were waiting for something to happen, something that Malina didn't quite get yet.

A breeze touched the girl's face, bringing a whole range of scents along with it. The first she happened to catch was the one that she had found the first time that she had awakened. It was the scent of fish and Hylian at the same time. Malina could remember that scent from only once, when the Zora people had come to visit Hyrule Castle. From that, she had guessed that she was in the Zora's Domain.

Along with the scent of Zora's, came the scent of ripe fruits, seaweed, and a few humans. It was odd how Malina could use her magic so easily now, without even thinking. The Book of Wisdom had given her an insight that not many had the chance to get. An insight that let her know many things that let her know almost anything that she wanted to know.

A laugh echoed from somewhere below Malina and she listened to the crystal notes with slight interest. Hylians were said to be the greatest race, farther than any other in technology and living standards. Well, those people obviously didn't know the Zoras that well. The Zoras relocated every once in a while, and they had done so a few years ago. This was the reason why they had come that time. To tell the ruler of Hyrule where they were going.

Malina heard someone enter her room. The rustle of a beard, the heavy Hylian boots, and deep breathing told her that it was Marit. He was not alone. A wolf walked in with him, claws making slight clicking noises. Every time that Marit had come, the wolf had come in with him. It was fairly interesting, really, because it didn't _smell _like a wolf should. It smelled like a man who had spent much time near the oven whilst waiting for bread to bake. Yes, he smelt like baking bread.

"Do you suppose that she's awake?" Marit asked, his voice gruff. Malina wanted to announce that, yes, she was awake. However, it's a slight problem if you can't move your lips to tell this person.

"Yes..." The wolf answered. The wolf could talk. That was a new one even for Malina. _He must have magic or something..._ Malina thought to herself. _How interesting. A wolf with magic. Or, perhaps, a man with magic that turned himself into a wolf. Yes, that makes more sense._

"Really?" Marit sounded slightly surprised. "How can that be? She looks like she's still perfectly asleep." Malina smiled within her own mind. It was hard not to look like you were asleep when you were half-asleep.

"Yes, she appears to be so, but it's slightly self-induced. She has been awake for the past three days. Four, if you include today. She just chooses to remain in this mode for some reason. Perhaps she feels more peace. Perhaps she has greater use of her magic. Perhaps she does not feel the need to eat, drink, or even live with this happening to her. For whatever reason it may be, the Princess will not awaken."

A light squeak and even lighter footsteps echoed through the room, announcing the presence of Yuumei. The slight swish of her dress was nice. However, Malina had not recognized her the first time she had come in until she had spoken. Her hair, you see, did not make the same noise it did before. It was now short, but Malina could not say how short because she had been in a trance this entire time, not allowing her to see.

"Is she still all right?" Yuumei asked, her voice soft. It still amazed Malina how she could have such an amazing voice, even when speaking. Certainly, Malina had thought her voice was pretty before, but she hadn't really been able to hear then. Now that she could... it sounded as though a hundred angels were singing within only one voice.

"Yes." Marit said. "In fact, she might be awake right now."

"She _is _awake right now." The wolf insisted. "You two just can not tell since you do not have any magic. I do, so I can tell. In fact, she is listening to us right now. I am certain of it." Smart wolf.

To this, none answered. But how Malina wished that she could hear what Yuumei sounded like when she sang. She could truly hear now, so what would it sound like? Even more beautiful than before? How was that even possible with the great beauty that it had held before? It seemed impossible.

"Where's Sparrow? I haven't seen him around in a while." Marit asked, and the direction of it sounded like it was headed to Yuumei. It obviously was, because she was the one that answered.

"He's been learning the fine art of dancing." Malina almost wanted to laugh at this. It was obviously an excuse for them to be together. Now that Malina could extend her power farther than ever, she knew what other people were feeling. And every time that Sparrow was added into the conversation while Yuumei was around, she would immediately try to change the subject. Yet when he was around... it was rather funny, let's just say.

"I see... and I suppose that you've been teaching him, Queen of Areu?" Hm. Her title. They didn't use that very often. For some reason, even when she had first heard it, it didn't surprise her. Yuumei always did seem like the type to be the queen.

"Yes, I do happen to be teaching him. Why do you ask?" Marit chuckled slightly before answering.

"No reason, dear Yuumei. No reason whatsoever." Malina wanted to snort. _Of course there was a reason. Don't lie, old man,_ Malina thought to herself in annoyance. _Ah, well. Who cares? Certainly not me.  
_

"Princess?" The wolf whispered softly in her ear. "If you can hear me, I'd like you to think about apples." Apples? Why apples? How silly was that, to think about apples... and yet, Malina was thinking about them already. They were very red, indeed. And rather tasty, as well.

"She can hear us." The wolf announced, now facing away from Malina. "I told her to think about apples, and she did." He turned back to her. "Now tell me, what's your favorite color? I'd like to know these things if I'm going to be your teacher."

Huh? Teacher? Malina didn't really process this too well. She believed that she didn't need a teacher in magic. She would be fine without one. What would be the point, after all? She already knew everything that she needed to know. The Book of Wisdom had let her know all that she would need to know.

"We can talk about that later." The wolf said impatiently. "I just wanted to know your favorite color." Right, favorite color. The first one that came to mind for Malina was the color of Ceris's eyes, that chocolaty, deep brown. Afterwords, Malina blushed within her own mind. Usually she would have said violet. That was fairly embarrassing.

"Ah, another little fact to put away." The wolf said, chuckling at her thought. Malina began to protest within her mind, hoping that he would just forget that she had ever thought that. Obviously, though, he wouldn't.

"What did she just think?" Marit asked. "I think that her face tensed up for a moment there."

"It did." The wolf said. "And I am not sure that she would be comfortable with me telling you."

_No, I certainly wouldn't. _Malina agreed.

"Can you sing a song for me? Your favorite? I would really like that." The wolf nudged Malina with his hand. Within her mind, Malina sighed.

_How about I sing it to you when I'm not in this trance-thing? I can tell you the one that I really treasured when I was younger. _

"All right, I suppose." The wolf answered. "Queen Yuumei? Marit? I would ask of you to leave. She should be out of this trance by the end of this afternoon. I am slowly bringing her out of it."

_You are?_

"Of course, Rusty. Whatever you like." Marit said.

"I thought that I told you not to call me that!" The wolf growled. "Just because I am a rust-colored wolf, that does not mean you have the right to call me that!"

"Yes, yes." Marit said. The door shut and Malina could only hear one set of lungs, different from a Hylian one. The wolf turned to Malina, his fingernails still making that strange clicking noise.

_What **is **your name, anyways?_

"It's Riste. However, the color of my fur is oddly red, so that boy... Ceris, I believe, took to calling me Rusty after he saw me. And then... that old man started calling me it, too. And let me just say now, I hate it." Malina couldn't help but giggle at this.

_I suppose that you know who I am by now. May I ask something?_

"Of course."

_Where am I? I guessed I was in the Zora's Domain, but nobody has really said anything._

"Yes, very nice work. You _are _in the Zora's Domain, in fact. This one is far, far from where it was last, though. It is in the Lost Woods, oddly enough. The Kokiri allowed the Zora to move here because they had lived here before. It is odd, though. You will find out why soon enough."

_Um... okay? You can ask your questions now._

"Did you ever meet your father?" The question caught Malina off guard. Father? Who was her father? She didn't even know the answers to these question.

_N-no..._

"I see..." For a while, silence reigned over them. It gave Malina the chance to think. Her father... who had he been? Who was he? What was he like? As she racked her mind for answers, Malina could not find any. It was so odd.

After a few hours, Riste spoke again. "I think... that is it. Try opening your eyes or sitting up or whatever." Malina did as he asked, opening her violet eyes. It worked. She could see. To further test herself, Malina tried to sit up. And she did.

Malina glanced over to Riste, a slight smile upon her lips. His fur was, indeed, rust colored. The deep red stretched all the way over his body, except on the tip of tail where it turned black, and on his paws where it was white. His eyes were violet and he was, at the least, half Malina's size.

"You're huge!" She exclaimed. The wolf rolled his eyes.

"I take it that you've never seen a wolf before, then." Was his answer. "Never mind, I don't care. I'd like you to sing that song for me."

"Gimme a sec!" Malina exclaimed. "I wanna take a look around." Riste rolled his eyes again, but he did not speak.

The thin clothes that Malina was wearing were like a giant shirt in a sense. It only went down to her knees and was white. However, it was also slightly see-through. On the sleeves there were designs made from yellow thread. She was wearing some stockings underneath, also. Malina's hair was up in a ponytail, using her ribbon.

The room was made from stone with no furniture besides the bed. Across from the bed, there were large windows. Malina jumped off her bed and leaned over them. It looked like a tropical paradise out there. It was entirely green with blue pools of water. The waterfall that Malina had been hearing for the past few days was next to the last window. There was no glass in these windows like the ones at the palace, and that made it all the better for Malina.

"I suppose that you are not going to sing anything right now because you are in too much awe of our surroundings." Malina nodded, still staring out the window in amazment. "Then do you mind if I turn back into my original form?" Malina shook her head.

A few moments later, a man stood next to her. From Malina's guessing, he appeared to be anywhere from thirty to forty. He had the same rusty hair, and his eyes were the same violet. He was massive, at least two-times taller than Malina. He appeared to be strong and very hairy.

"Wow." Was all Malina could say.

"Yes, yes." Riste said impatiently. "Now, I must speak with you about some things. For one, the matters of your training." Malina turned to him abruptly with her hands on her waist.

"I don't need any stupid training." She announced. "I've seen the Book of Wisdom." The man rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, yes? Well then, I suppose that you are willing to go after Vaati then. Why don't we have a little battle of magic, yes? If you win, you can go after him all on your own. If I win, you will have to submit to my harsh training." Malina felt suddenly nervous, but she spoke with more courage than she felt.

"Fine. When I win, though, I don't want you to cry." The man snorted.

"I didn't cry when my last student beat me, and I won't cry if you beat me. Now get into a position." Riste spread his legs slightly out with one arm over another. Malina copied him. "Ready? One, two, three!" The man shouted.

To be honest, Malina didn't know what had happened. One instant she was standing up, the next she was upside down with fire around her head. Riste sucked the fire back into his hand and dropped Malina. A smirk was on his face at the annoyed look on her face.

"Would you like to try again?" He asked, getting into that position.

"I get the point." Malina said gruffly. "I need a teacher. I guess that I'll let you be my teacher..."

"Ha." Riste said happily. "I thought so. Now, I must tell you that this will be hard. Usually it takes years and years to become a master of magic." Malina pouted. "However, it might be that I can train you faster than that. At that smallest of times, a year."

"A whole year?!" Malina exclaimed. Riste's eyes narrowed at this.

"Yes. Would you like it to be longer?" Riste asked. Malina shook her head, annoyance full on her now.

"Okay, then. Another thing before we begin this. It might make you change your mind about all of this. I'd rather it didn't, but..." Riste sighed before he spoke again. "You see... I trained Vaati to be the magic master that he is now."

Shock filled Malina. "What?!"


	15. Learning of Vaati

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86, maximushyrule and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. I'm not gonna reveal anything about this... but... never mind...  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

"Oh, do be quiet." Riste said in annoyance. "I would rather you not scream because I have a slight headache, yes?"

"I-I'm sorry... that just confused me a bit." Malina said, much softer now. "If he's evil, wouldn't that make you evil, too? I'm a little bit lost."

"Perhaps if you did not talk as much and you listened more, you would get more out of life." Riste answered calmly. "Now listen to what I have to say. When I first began training Vaati, he was younger than you. I am not quite sure his age at the time, but he was quite young. He was a very good student, indeed. He followed orders, he tried his best all of the time, and he valued every small thing that I had to teach him."

"You make it sound like he wasn't a bad guy." Malina said, doubt in her voice.

"No, he really was not. Including you, I will have had seven students. However, I believe that no matter how many I shall have, Vaati shall always be my favorite. He was kind, powerful in magic, and understood life more so than even I did." His eyes seemed to have a peculiar shine when he spoke of Vaati.

"Understand life?" Malina was getting more and more confused.

"Yes. To be a powerful user of magic, you must understand the fundamentals of life. That is what the entire second half of training is about. I do hope that you will be able to understand in time..." Riste appeared to murmur the last part to himself.

"I will learn in time!" Malina exclaimed. "I promise!" Riste barely glanced at her before answering.

"I do not make promises, I am afraid. They are easily broken, and I do not wish for that sort of thing to happen. And anyway, you most likely do not even know what we are talking about. For the whole 'time' thing, I mean."

"Well, then." She sounded slightly miffed. "I see. What _are _we hoping for, then?"

"You see, we are hoping to teach you magic before the time that Vaati finds out where we are. If he does, you can expect to be dead an hour after." Malina gulped at this. "But enough of this talk. First of all, we must get food into your stomach before I begin teaching you." Riste glanced about. "Curses, by the time we finish eating you will want to go to bed..."

"Um, okay..." Malina answered softly, still slightly confused. Was Vaati good, or bad? What had happened to him that had made him turn evil? Why did the mention of his name strike fear into her heart?

Malina's thought drifted away from such subjects as they began walking down the hall. About every ten feet, there was a river that ran through the hall. It was only three or so feet wide, so it was easy to cross. The entire Zora's Domain appeared to be made of a sort of white stone. Not marble, but something less... shiny, maybe? Upon the walls were only windows with the same type as the ones in Malina's room. The entire way down the hall, neither of them met any guards for the Zora, which frightened Malina slightly.

After a moment of them walking down the halls, Malina realized what she was wearing and felt slightly embarrassed. "Um, Riste? Is there-" She began, but was quickly interrupted by him.

"Here." He said simply, snapping his fingers. Her clothes were bathed, for an instant, in a glowing light. When it went away Malina was slightly surprised. It was a simple white gown with nothing on it. It seemed to be made of the same linen material as her last clothes. She was also wearing soft boots made from, at least that's what it felt like, cotton. It was rather comfortable, really.

"Um, thanks." Malina mumbled. A stray lock got in her eyes and she brushed it behind her ear. As they jumped over another small river, Malina watched the man that was near her. He seemed to be confident, and older than his appearances showed. He also seemed to have no tolerance for anything that he did not like, which also seemed to be Malina. That made her even more frightened of the man.

At the end of the hall, there was a large opening. As the twosome stepped through, the room silenced. It seemed to be room that was made for the purpose of eating, and nothing else. There were many many many Zora inside and it filled Malina's nose with that smell. However, there were also a few Hylians inside, and one Queen of Areu.

The first Hylian's face that Malina found was Delila's. The girl's face was, for but a moment, filled with a loathing that not many people could possibly feel. Afterwords, she put on her buddy-buddy-face and squealed as loud as she could.

"Princess!" Delila cried and hugged Malina fiercely. "Oh, thank goodness! I was terribly frightened when I heard that you might not wake up! And now here you are, alive and well! I am so glad!"

"Ah, yes." Malina answered softly, still completely not understanding the logic of this strange teen. "I'm okay, don't worry, Delila... wait a minute, how did you know that I'm-" She began, but was interrupted, yet again, by Riste.

"Do not be silly. The first moment I saw you, I called you Princess, giving away your silly little charade. Honestly, I am not sure that I understand exactly why you said all of that. Quite foolish, actually." Malina felt her face turn slightly red and she nodded. Delila let go, her face still the face of innocence.

The others in their little group walked over. Well, besides Shina. Shina ran over to Malina, tackled her, and said, "Don't you ever do that again, you idiot! I don't want to see you getting hurt or anything like that at all!" Malina could only nod dumbly to this sudden outburst. She supposed that it meant that Shina wasn't mad at her anymore.

"Get off her." Ceris said in annoyance, pulling Shina off Malina. "Glad to see you're okay." He added with a small grin. She felt her face turn slightly pink. Sparrow helped Malina up and whispered a few words himself to her.

"Glad you're okay." That was probably a mouthful for Sparrow. However, Malina did not get a chance to be dazed or say thank you or anything because Yuumei eclipsed her in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh, Malina! I am so so so so so so so so so so happy that you're okay! I was so so so so so so so so so so scared for you! Are you okay!?" Yuumei demanded, still hugging Malina as tightly as she could.

"I-I'm fine." Malina managed out, who was starting to see black on the edge of her vision. "C-can't... breath..." Yuumei quickly let go, her face having a touch of pink and giggling slightly in embarrassment.

"Oops! Sorry, Mal!" _Mal? Where had that come from? Oh, whatever. _ Malina thought to herself, not caring by this point.

"Be careful, you crazy people." Riste said gruffly. "I just barely allowed her to be my student and I do not want you people killing her." _Allowed? How rude._ "It may be rude, but I do not want you thinking any thoughts that are rude towards me, your master.

"Whatever." Malina grumbled, folding her arms. Marit patted her back a few times.

"Don't worry, kiddo. It'll probably only get worse from here."

"That's not helping!" Malina exclaimed, throwing her arms above her head. Marit laughed at her and Riste frowned.

"I came here to get some food in this girl's stomach. We start training tomorrow, and I am not working with a weakling or someone that is broken." Riste folded his arms, still frowning. Everyone nodded slowly, slight disappointment on their faces.

Malina sniffed the air, wondering what they were going to eat. It smelt like... "Fish?" She asked, feeling slightly sick. "I don't wanna eat fish..."

"That is why I have bread and cheese." He said simply. Malina followed, slightly confused.

"Wait, do you not like eating animals either?"

"Of course I do not." He snorted. "Being a magic user means that we have a better sense of what goes on around us. Even the life of an ant suddenly becomes very important, more important than any regular person could understand. Even Vaati understands that."

"Then why would he kill me at a moment's notice?" Malina asked as they sat down on a pillow that served as a seat. He answered after a long pause, but it was not with the happiness that he had spoken with before. Much more like a grieving voice.

"Vaati was... changed, you could say. He will not kill you himself, no matter how much he wishes it. Because, you see, he will feel too much hurt at ending a life. It may even hurt him greater to hurt someone that he knew, like you. I doubt that he remembers anything that happened back then, though."

"What do you mean? Have we met?" Malina asked while chewing on a peice of bread.

"First of all, do not speak with your mouth full of food. It is disgusting. Secondly, yes, but you were a baby. At the time he was but my apprentice, about two-thirds done with his training..." Riste began.

* * *

_Riste smiled slightly and pointed to the castle. "That is Hyrule Castle, Vaati. We will continue your training there." The boy stared at the castle, obviously in awe._

_"It's big." He said softly. "I knew it was large, but not quite this big." The older man snorted._

_"Vaati, you've never been to the Lost Woods, even. Quite pathetic, if I might say so." The violet haired boy blushed slightly, looking down._

_"Y-yes, I suppose so..." A man ran past the two, shouting excitedly._

_"The Queen is giving birth to her child! A child will be born by the end of today! A child, a child!" Riste glanced at Vaati, who seemed to be slightly surprised._

_"That's interesting. We happened to be here on the exact day of that." Vaati stared at the castle, his violet eyes reflecting it slightly._

_"Do you think it was fate?" Riste asked, a slight smile on his face._

_"Oh, yes." Vaati answered easily. "Come, let's hurry, yes? I wonder if they'd even let us see the child..."_

_"I happen to be an old friend of Queen Zelda's, so yes, I believe she will allow us to see her child." Riste replied calmly, flipping the reins a little faster so that they could see the child sooner. Vaati did the same._

_As the twosome entered the castle, panic was everywhere. "The Queen! The Queen!" It seemed to be that everyone was shouting._

_"Oh dear." Vaati sighed. "I don't like loud noises, so this should be doom for me." Riste laughed easily as they walked along. Every day more that he spent with Vaati, it seemed to be easier to forget Ganondorf and just feel happy._

_"Yes, it ought to be." Riste answered simply._

* * *

"That is enough story for now!" Riste said simply, standing up. Malina watched him in confusion.

"What? Why?"

"Because, you would most likely scream or interrupt a thousand times if I told you the entire story." Riste said just as simply as before. Malina pouted at him and folded her arms. He ignored her. Malina chose to begin begging.

"Please? I promise that I won't scream or interrupt... and I'll do my very best while you train me! Please! I hate it when people leave me hanging like that. Mistress Impa did it all of the time just to get on my nerves."

"Fine, fine. Just stop bothering me... and if you do not do your best, I will slap you five times, yes?" Malina gulped, knowing he would do it.

"Uh, okay..." Malina mumbled, bringing her knees up to her chin.

"We were waiting outside the room when..."

* * *

_"The baby has been born..." A doctor said to Vaati and Riste softly. "However..."_

_"What?" Riste asked, standing up with his eyes on fire._

_"It's just that... it was a girl."_

_"What do you mean 'it was a girl'? It is a girl still, right?" Vaati asked anxiously. The doctor before them sighed._

_"She... she came a bit too early, I'm afraid. She is no longer with us. I know that you, Riste, have the ability to heal someone. Or at least-"_

_"I cannot bring back the dead." Riste said flatly._

_"I did not mean that. I understand at least some of your limitations." The man answered, his voice still slightly soft. "I was wondering if you could help the Queen. She is not taking this very well, I'm afraid."_

_"Ah." Riste did not like being proved wrong. "I see. Of course. My apprentice and I shall do our best."_

_"Thank you." The man said simply and led them into the room. Queen Zelda was sitting there, her face tired and full of depression. On the table beside her lay the baby, wrapped in a blanket. However, no one was around her, for everyone was trying to calm down the Queen._

_"My baby!" She cried, tears in her eyes. "My baby... my little Princess! It can't be true."_

_Riste glanced at Vaati, who was not staring at the Queen. He was, instead, staring at the dead child and biting his bottom lip. "Do not even think about it, Vaati." Riste said, his voice low and dangerous. The boy ignored him and walked over to the baby._

_Vaati touched the child's head and closed his eyes. By now, everyone was watching him. He seemed to not notice, though. He seemed too intuned by what he was about to do. For a moment, light surrounded him and Riste sighed. It was too late to help either of them by now._

_When Vaati opened his eyes again, he was fine. He looked down at the baby and blinked in surprise. She was crying slightly, and moving her arms about slightly.  
_

_"My baby... is alive!" Zelda cried, tears in her eyes. "Oh, thank goodness! Thank you so much..."_

* * *

Malina stared blankly at the man. "Vaati... saved my life? But that doesn't make any... okay, I am so lost."

"Training begins tomorrow." Riste answered, standing up. "Do not be late and get a good night's sleep."

"What?!" Malina exclaimed. "Can't you explain anything to me!?"

"No." Was his answer as he walked away.

**A/N- Yeah, Riste is awesomeness. He will destroy you all! BWA HA HA! Anyway, R&R. Oh, and I hated how short this chapter was. At least you got to learn a bit about Vaati.  
**


	16. The First Day of Training

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86 and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. This story seems to be easier for me to write than a lot of my stories.**

**Disclaimer- I still don't own Zelda**

Peaceful sleeping is a wonderful thing, no? No dreams, no loss of ability to fall into the thing called sleep, no one waking you up, nothing disturbing you from just sleeping. It truly is quite a great thing. Something that Malina did not get to have.

First of all, she could not get to sleep. She was too busy thinking about Vaati. He had saved her life? And what about... well, why was he this way now? Did he not like her now because of something that she did back then? Was it something that she should have known about? Something that even with her great memory she could not remember, even as hard as Malina did try? It was a horrible to think that her worst enemy had, at one point, saved her life.

Malina flipped over in her bed, now on her right side. And then she would begin magic training tomorrow. Or later today. Whatever time it happened to be. She didn't even know what had happened during the time that she was asleep. No one had wanted to really explain it to her, she supposed.

And that man. Riste. What was wrong with him? Why did he seem to not like her already? All of this was coming on too fast for Malina. She wished that she could trace back to the time that Vaati had gotten into her mind so she could stop him sooner. If she had been able to do that and not be such a big baby, perhaps she would understand more of what was going on around her. Yes, that would be nice.

Malina sat up in her bed. She absently brushed a piece of hair from her face. It was getting annoying. Maybe she should cut it like Yuumei did. Yuumei had cut her hair into lots of layers and short, barely to her shoulders. There was a lock of her hair that was now a brilliant white, very different against her raven hair. Malina liked it better longer, but Yuumei said that it was easier to manage the shorter it was. Yes, perhaps Malina should try that.

At the thoughts of Yuumei, Malina's eyes went to her bracelet. It glowed faintly in the dark. Malina could not help wondering if there was any sort of magical qualities about it. It didn't seem likely, but it was possible. After all, right after she put it on Vaati was able to get into her mind.

Was it possible that Yuumei wasn't on their side after all?

That was likely not that Malina thought about it. Yuumei was always happy, she could never get angry, she had a amazing voice... she was perfect. Too perfect. No one could possibly be that perfect, no matter how hard they tried. It was entirely possible that this was all something that she was acting to get to their group.

The thought bothered Malina. Especially since Yuumei had sworn that they were 'best friends forever', no matter what Malina did... but what about Yuumei? Would they still be 'best friends' if Yuumei did something wrong? What if she was doing something wrong right now, like contacting Vaati and telling him where they were? The thought made Malina bite her bottom lip. It was much too possible.

The young girl pulled her knees up to her chin, resting it there lightly. She had to get such thoughts out of her mind and try to get to sleep. It was hard, though. With everything that was happening from Malina's sudden distrust of Yuumei to her magic training in the morning... she couldn't suck it all in.

Malina got off her bed and walked over to her windows. She leaned over them and looked around outside. The night was warm, as it always appeared to be in the Zora's Domain. The air was slightly humid, but not as humid as it had been that afternoon.

The outside of the Zora's Domain was large. It was hard to believe that they had managed to keep this place a secret. It was made from all the same white stones with rivers that ran all through the city-like place. This was the largest of all the buildings, but it was not the palace. All of the buildings were simple and tall with nothing on the outside. The palm trees and rushing blue rivers were enough color for these people.

A soft breeze flew through Malina hair, brushing it in her face. She absently brushed it behind her ear. The night was perfect, but Malina just wanted to go to sleep. It felt near impossible with all of the thoughts that rushed through her mind.

She sighed and walked over to her bed and lied down on it. Even if she couldn't sleep, it was better to try than nothing...

* * *

"Wake up, girl. I am not going to wait any longer for you, you know," Riste muttered, shaking Malina roughly. The girl groaned and put her pillow over her head. It felt like a second since she had fallen asleep. In reality, though, it had been only an hour.

"Get up!" Riste, by this point, was very annoyed by his new student, so he pushed her off the bed. Malina groaned and tried to life her head off the floor. She failed. "Oh, good, you are awake. Come on, get up, we have work to do. Up, up, up!"

The door shut and Malina sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. She glanced around the room. It was still slightly dark, which meant it was about sunrise or dawn. She sighed and rolled her neck, still trying to wake up. She stood up and began fumbling around for her boots. When she found them, she pulled them on, still not really awake. As Malina began pulling up her hair, it finally hit her.

She was going to start learning how to use magic today.

The thought made Malina drop her ribbon and stare forward dumbly. It was such an odd thought. A month and a half or so ago, she would have laughed. So much had happened since that day. Her birthday. The worst day in Malina's memory.

She quickly shook those thoughts out of her mind and pulled her hair up. There was no need to get changed being that she had slept in her clothes and probably wouldn't get any new ones for quite a while. And if she did, it was because they got too dirty from whatever sort of training that she was going to have to go through.

The instant that Malina walked out the door, Riste grabbed her arm. "Come along, we are going outside to begin our work." She followed, not really understanding. But then again, she didn't need to. He was the teacher now. The boss.

Malina was unsure if that was really very good for her. Most likely not.

She, once again, pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She followed wordlessly while he led her outside. The building was so large that if Malina tried to find her way through it, she would most likely end up more lost than a dragon in Lake Hylia. Ha. A dragon in Lake Hylia.

As they exited the building, warmth flew all across Malina. Although it was cool inside the buildings somehow, it was very hot outside. Of course, it was not hot yet, but it would later that day. By the feel of the temperature already, it would be very hot indeed.

They came to a large field with a river that ran all the way around it. No one was there, but it had stands all around that were also made from the same rock as the rest of the Zora's Domain was. It seemed to be used for things like tournaments and sports. However, the Zoras doing fencing brought a smile to Malina's lips.

"This is where we shall practice." Riste said, turning to her. "For at least the next month. I expect you to wake more willingly next time, though." She could do nothing but nod. "Now, come here, to the very middle with me."

Riste sat down as they reached the middle. Malina did so as well. He did not say anything, but he stared at her. She felt slightly uncomfortable while he did this and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking or what he was doing. Finally, he spoke after five or so minutes.

"We shall begin with learning how to move other things. I suppose that you know how to do at least basic things like that." Malina nodded and Riste stood up. He did not offer his hand to her. He walked over to the river and indicated for her to follow.

"Follow my lead." He said simply. Riste extended his hand and closed his eyes. He fluttered his fingers and the water rippled. He did so even more but began to draw his hand up. The water followed his actions. Riste opened his eyes and watched it with not much interest. After a moment of allowing it to come up into the air, he allowed it to drop down, bringing his hand down quickly.

"Now you try." He said just as simply as before. Malina nodded, and began to draw out her magic. The instant that she began doing this, Riste tapped her fingers. She frowned and stopped.

"What?" Malina asked.

"You are not doing it right. You must have the magic come to you, not have you go to the magic." She stared at the man in confusion.

"What, is magic a dog or something?"

"No, it is energy." He replied. "However, you must prove that you are the master of energy. So far, it seems that you are not. You must call it, not draw it. Honestly, do I have to explain everything to you?" Malina bit her bottom lip to keep from answering sharply.

She closed her eyes and sighed. How to draw it out, now... Riste was watching her, his arms folded. After a moment, Malina opened her eyes, a scowl on her face.

"Will you teach me how?" She growled, drawing each word out slowly. He nodded.

"Firstly, though, you must close your eyes. After a while you will be able to call upon your magic with but a blink, but you need to close your eyes for now." Malina did so. "Now, I am just going to assume that you know where your magic is. It changes depending on the person. However, that magic is the most vulnerable place in your entire body. If you get hit there, it is over. I thought that you ought to know that."

While Malina shuddered, Riste changed the subject. "To call upon your magic, you must not go searching about like I have seen you do. You must take a deep breath with your eyes closed. You can feel the magic pulse through you if that happens. It will race, for but a moment, up and down your body. In those instances, your body and your soul will be entirely one. It is something that only us users of magic can even possibly understand, not to mention use. Now try it."

Malina sucked in a deep breath and felt what he had been talking about. She had always taken it for granted, this feeling, but now it seemed... so much more interesting now that Malina was aware of it. It felt as though you had power, more than any in the world. Your soul and body being one, huh? It felt... amazing.

"I felt it." She said, opening her eyes. Riste smiled slightly, with slight approval.

"Good. Now, when you feel that energy, direct it to your fingertips. After that, extend your reach down to the water and pull it up as you would pull anything up. It might be a bit difficult at first, but you will get the hang of it in time."

Malina closed her eyes and took another deep breath. As the energy rushed through her during that moment, she pushed it all towards her fingers. It was much more difficult than she had expected. Imagine being able to move your blood all over your body at just your want. You would then have slightly what it felt like to push your magic around, only it is more of a feeling than an actual liquid.

She ignored the difficulties and pushed it to her fingers. Soon it was all there, within a second. However, to Malina, it felt as though it had been much longer. She pushed past her fingers, and felt empty space all around her. The feeling of trying to keep that magic bridled while it was so wanting to be free, fly into the sky was near unbearable. However, it was only near. Malina knew that she could do it.

She pushed the magic down, forcing it towards the water. Images played in Malina's mind of the magic swirling around her, beautiful and free. It wanted to play, not to lift the water. It was... alive almost, which was strange for her.

It, in the end, lifted up the water. Malina felt a bead of sweat go down her face and she let it go after holding onto the water for perhaps a minute. She turned to Riste, whose expression was beyond surprised. It held astonishment, hurt, and even some slight fear. However, he quickly smoothed it out.

"Quite interesting." He said. "You managed to do it your first time. There has only been one of my other students that have been able to do that, and it was Vaati. He was extatic about it, too. You need to not push yourself as hard, though. You already look like you are about to faint and we have a whole day ahead of us. Now, do you have any questions that you would like to ask me about your magic or using it before we continue?"

"Well..." Malina began. "Is magic... alive?" Riste stared at her for a moment.

"I have heard that sometimes magic is so strong sometimes that it gains its own sense of life. It could be alive right now quite easily if you are strong enough. I know that Vaati asked me that after using his magic properly the first time. I do believe that you two are a lot alike. If you train as well and hard as he did, you might have a chance of defeating him, you know. I can only hope that you do not kill him."

"Do you really think that my magic could be... alive?" Malina asked. Riste sighed and sat down. He patted the ground beside him, indicating that this might take a while to explain or cause even more questions to burst from the young girl.

"Yes. It can be. I believe, however, that magic is only alive if the person that it is in is very alive as well. If they are someone who is not bound to use their magic often, then they're magic will just sit inside of them, never to be awakened to what they could be. My magic is not alive because I am likely to use it after this. You, though... I must say that after this is all over with, your magic will be gone. That is my belief, but it is nothing more than a guess. Your magic will not abandon you; it will die."

"Oh." That left Malina feeling a little down. "So, you mean that my magic... will die? I'm not sure that I want that to happen."

"It is of no matter." He said. "Even though I understand life, you will understand your magic more than I ever will. Perhaps you will be able to communicate with it after a while, whilst I still can only understand the ways of life. I believe that in the most needed moment of your life, your magic will mature. It will become greatly powerful, so powerful that it will wear itself out. So even if you do win the battle against Vaati, your magic will be gone."

"You said that Vaati asked the same question. Does that mean that Vaati's magic is alive, too?" Malina questioned. Riste nodded.

"Yes. After a while, I would see his face crunch up in concentration and, every once in a while, talk to himself. He told me that his magic was talking with him and did not understand the meaning of no, as though it were more of a child than him. After a while, he seemed to be able to convince it that he was the master here, not the magic."

Malina giggled at the thought, but wished that the magic had more control. Magic seemed to have, by what she could tell, a more carefree spirit than any Hylian was able. Besides, of course children. As the magic seemed to notice that Malina was thinking about it, it sent images of cute dolls, the castle gardens, and her mother. It wanted to make sure that she was happy, and that made her smile even further.

"What?" Riste asked, his face slightly curious.

"The magic wants me to be happy." Malina explained. "So it's sending my favorite memories to me. The gesture makes me feel more happy than the actual memories do." Riste sighed, obviously not understanding.

"All right, then. Would you like to start training again? We can learn more about the intentions of your magic later, but for now let us get back to lifting the water and such." Malina nodded and stood up, dusting the dirt off herself.

Even as they began working again, Malina's thoughts were elsewhere. She was thinking about her magic. It seemed to be that Riste didn't think of this as something odd, but it obviously was. She felt slightly nervous about this. Something else to make her feel weird and out of place.

_It's okay! _A chiming voice said in her head. _You can do it! And I'll help!_

This just made Malina sigh further. Because her magic was talking to her, it just made her feel... insane, she supposed was the word. And she didn't really like this feeling. It even made her feel slightly guilty for some reason. But why? A question that she certainly couldn't answer no matter how much she wanted to.

"Stop that." Riste said in annoyance. "You are thinking too much about your magic, and not enough about _using _your magic. Now hurry up, I want you to have this down by the end of the day!"

Malina sighed and wished that he wouldn't read her thoughts so much. It was rather annoying and she didn't like it. His eyes narrowed at her as she thought this. Malina realized that he was probably still reading them, so she continued working, only faster.

What an interesting first day of training it had turned out to be so far. Malina glanced up and saw the sun was barely out. And it had only just begun. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like today very much.

"Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to get to work!?" Riste practically shouted in Malina's ear. She rubbed it and began again. Don't want to get this guy mad.

**A/N- Please, R&R. You may think that you don't need to, but it really helps me out. It gives me a greater want to write!  
**


	17. Too Much

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86 and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. And who knows why it's easier for me to write, it just is.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

Malina glanced at the sun. It was nearly down... the instant that it would be down, she would be finished with training for the day. Then she could go get some food, in which she is not allowed to eat while they are training, and go to sleep. Simple pleasures that she loved.

"Lift the water higher! You can put your rocks in with it! I thought you were better than that!" Riste shouted and Malina winced. It had been about a week since she began her training. He was teaching her how to lift multiple things at once. At the moment, a solid and a liquid. Believe it or not, it was harder than it sounds.

"I'm trying!" Malina cried, beads of sweat falling down her face. At that moment, an image of her with water, fire, air, and earth surrounding her flooded into Malina's mind. Another second later, she saw a picture of Vaati cowering behind his cape.

"Like that would ever happen." She muttered, and her concentration broke. Both the water and the rocks fell down.

"What was that!?" Riste demanded as he walked over to her. Malina bit her bottom lip in frustration. It was hard enough to use her magic all day, but the little voice in the back of her mind was not helping. It wanted to help, but it wasn't helping as it bothered Malina every time she was doing something important.

"Um... it was my magic's fault?" She tried, knowing that he would not believe it. She was right.

"You use that excuse every time we do anything!" Riste snorted. "It is bad enough that I am trying to train a student within a year, but to have her being unable to do anything right... it is pure annoyance if you ask me."

Malina felt her face turn bright red. Was that true? Could she really not do anything right? Perhaps it was true. She did seem to fall behind every time that he asked something of her. She was barely able to lift water without her magic running loose. Why couldn't she just be able to control it?

_Don't think like that, Mally. _Her magic said, it's voice like a bell. _If you can't defeat Vaati, then no one can. I believe in you._

_Yes, but it's your fault that I keep getting in trouble. _Malina reminded it. _It doesn't matter how much you believe in me, because if I can't do anything, then I can't do anything. It's as simple as that, you see?_

_I suppose..._

"Because of your failure time after time, I am going to have to take more drastic measures if we are going to defeat Vaati within the time limit that we have." Riste was saying. "I believe that we must go later into the night. And before you try to cut me off, I do not care whether or not you need your sleep. Personally, I do not sleep at all. Ever since I became a master of magic, I have not slept. I expect you to do the same."

_That must be where he got his grouchiness from. _Malina thought sourly.

"Now, we will go into another hour of-" Riste began, but was interrupted.

"Excuse me!" Yuumei called, waving slightly. "Excuse me, but Marit needs you two! I am so sorry if I'm interrupting anything!"

"Well, you were." Riste growled. "Anyhow, let us hurry up and see what that old man wants. Come along, girl, this just means that we will have to go even later into the night, which I know that you are ecstatic for. And get those dirty thoughts out of your mind."

At this, Malina frowned. Did this man have no sense of personal privacy? And all she was thinking was that he could have been a little bit nicer when he was answering Yuumei. This guy seriously needed a nap.

_Needs a nap, needs a nap! _Her magic sang. _He needs a-_

_Get out of my mind! _Malina growled and the singing stopped abruptly. She was tired as well, and was glad for at least a moment's rest. That was longer than Riste gave her. She didn't need her magic ruining it with an annoying song.

As they walked down the halls, Malina no longer gaped in amazement at every little thing that the Zoras had done to this place. She was no longer in shock by its great beauty. To her, it was just another place that she lived. Another place that she didn't change her clothes, no matter how much she wanted to. Another place for her to live temporarily until Vaati kicked her out of it.

Malina stopped the instant that Riste stopped, half closing her eyes. She was so tired. During this meeting, she would most likely fall asleep unless someone kept prodding her awake. It was so hard to keep awake.

When they walked into Marit's room, everyone was seated around a large table that Marit had insisted on. Malina walked over and sat next to Riste, being that if she did not, he would most likely kick her butt and make her train even harder.

"All right, then. We are going to begin this meeting now, if you don't mind." Marit said, his voice deep. His eyebrows were furrowed together, but Malina tried not to notice this. Whatever this meeting was about, it most likely was _not _going to be good. Ah, but who cared as long as she could just fall asleep...

A gentle prodding came from her left side, which was not where Riste was sitting. As Malina looked up to see who it was, she saw Ceris. Her face flamed slightly, and she tried to stay awake more than ever.

"Now, as you all know, we are part of an organization called the Knights of Night. Part of that is to put the people of Hyrule first. I'm not sure if any of you realized this, but we are not doing our job by just staying here and eating. I quickly became bored of our little 'vacation' and now I want to leave. I have been part of the Knights of Night since I was twenty-three. It is in my blood to help people, and now it's bothering me because I cannot. I believe that while Malina studies magic, we should go and help people of other parts of Hyrule, people that need us more."

Malina felt a course of shock go through her at this. Them? Leaving her? It didn't seem possible. The Knights of Night had been with her since the first time that they had met. They were... part of her, in a sense.

"What?!" Malina cried, standing up. As it turns out, she was one of many outbursts. The only three that were not shouting were Malon, Sparrow, and Riste. After a moment or two, Marit managed to get them all calmed down enough so he could talk to them.

"Now, listen to what I have to say. Even though, yes, it is usually required that a certain group of the Knights of Night always stay together, I am requesting that one of you stay here and watch over Malina. She is the Princess of Hyrule, and I don't believe that Vaati will leave her alone for very long. The person that I ask is Ceris. You are the closest in age, so I think that you two might work together better." He took a deep breath.

"Furthermore, Ceris, if you are to play the role of bodyguard, you must realize that this means watching over her all the time. The only time I don't want you watching her, is during the night or while she is getting dressed. Even though night seems to be the most likely time for her to be kidnapped, I think that for the most part Malina can take care of herself. Now for a few other matters of business..." By this point, Malina wasn't listening.

Ceris would be watching her all the time.

It was a frightening thought. She was only able to wonder how Ceris felt about this. He probably hated the idea. He probably was... ugh, she didn't even want to think right now. Maybe it was better to listen to Marit than to think about it.

"It is believed that the Knights of Night for the Zoras are around Lake Hylia, protecting it. While they are there, we must hit somewhere else. Whilst we were gone, Kakariko was most likely hit by Vaati. We must take a moment to be there. If the Gorons are in danger, then we must help them. After we help them, I believe we should take a look at Hyrule Castle. It was most likely the hardest hit."

"Excuse me, Marit." Riste said, standing up. "Malina and I need to train some more, if you do not mind. Please continue making plans without us." Marit nodded and Malina stood up sleepily. Marit blinked slowly at this before speaking again.

"Ceris, your duties begin now." Marit said absently. "Now, we must find a blind spot, because they most certainly have guards..."

_You need some sleep. If it wasn't for Sword Boy, you would probably be asleep right now. _Her magic noted. Malina's magic had names for everyone, and Ceris was Sword Boy. For some reason it couldn't pronounce names quite right.

_Yeah, I guess..._ Malina thought sleepily. Riste seemed to notice this.

"Fine, fine. Go to sleep, I really do not care by this point." He said gruffly. "We most likely will not be done until the next Hero comes around, anyway."

So Malina did, and while she did, she dreamed.

* * *

_Vaati smirked at Malina, his vicious red eyes looking like fire. "Come at me, little girl. Do you really think that you can defeat me?"_

_She bit her bottom lip. Impa was dead now. Ceris was dead now. Everyone was dead now, except Yuumei. But Yuumei was no longer on their side. She was next to Vaati, a cruel smirk on her face while holding her blood stained saber. Could Malina really defeat them?_

_"I-I can do it." She said, but her voice showed no confidence. It showed fear and the coward she truly was._

_"And I'm so certain." Vaati mocked, bringing out his staff. "But you know what else? Because you took so long in your training, training that now means nothing, I managed to find the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Courage. Because you were so slow to train, they are all dead. Perhaps you should rethink your life, and join my side."_

_"No, I will never join your side, even if it leads to my death!" Malina shouted, trying to sound brave. However, the last part seemed to make Vaati laugh._

_"It will, little brat, it will! Now, I have a question for you. Do you want to feel death? Because if not, it's too late." He brought his staff up into the air. Energy and magic of all sorts flowed into it. Malina tried to call her magic, but it was gone._

_She was going to die._

_The black magic flew towards her, and Malina closed her eyes. She had failed everyone. She had failed the world. That was it. It was over. She was going to die._

_This was like a dream that she just couldn't wake up from. No, no, it wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. A nightmare that Malina just couldn't wake up from. No matter how hard she tried, though, it seemed too real to just be a nightmare. _

_"Die!" Vaati screamed as the darkness hit her. It was true._ _She would die. It was too late._

_Malina had failed._

* * *

Malina woke up gasping, remembering the feeling of the darkness all over her. It was cold, slimy, and... and made her feel every bit of hurt that she had ever expierienced. Every litte thing that she had felt that had hurt her had come rushing back to her.

_That's what will happen if you don't win. _Her magic said solemnly. _Only worse._

_Worse? _Malina questioned, feeling chills go up and down her spine.

_Yes. If you fail, then that pain will be yours. Every time the staff is used, a copy of the person's pain is put into it. It is used every time and you feel the pain of the person before you. You just felt what it would be like if it was just your pain. Now, guess what it would be like if you added a hundred other people's pain to it, people who have gone through more strife than you, people who have hurt so much more than you. Imagine it._

Just the thought made Malina shudder. It was horrible. _What do you suppose I need to do to stop that from happening?_

_Train. In the end, I can teach you how to use a shield that will keep you from having to experience that pain. I do hope that you do not have to feel it._

_A shield? And how can you teach me?_

_I am the pure essence of magic. I know every little trick, everything that you humans do not. I am very powerful, and I could destroy you right here, right now. Of course I won't but... anyway, after you have been taught by Riste, I shall teach you._

_O-okay..._

_Now, you shall know. Hurry and get your boots on. Riste will be here in a minute and forty-two seconds. He will be pleased if you are ready._

Malina quickly jumped off her bed and pulled on her boots. Unlike most mornings, she felt awake. It was most likely because of her terrible dream and her other teacher. Magic being a teacher. Another odd thought. There seemed to be too many of those in Malina's life.

She walked over to the door, being that her hair was still in the ponytail that it had been in last night, and opened it. About ten paces away, Riste stood. He seemed to be slightly surprised by her being up and ready. She glanced around and saw that Ceris was leaning against the wall. He gave her a quick smirk before yawning.

"Good. I see that both of you are awake. Now, come along, we must bid the rest of the Knights of Night good-bye. They are leaving today." Malina was, once again, amazed by how quickly they could pack and plan. "They are taking that woman from Areu and Malon with them as well."

Yuumei... at least this would give Malina more time to think about her. Was she really evil? Was she good? It was rather hard to tell.

"Good morning to you, too." Ceris said, sounding only slightly sleepy. "Jeez, I hate being bodyguard. I did it once before as part of my test to get into the Knights of Night, and boy was it tiring... you have to follow the person around no matter what they're doing. I don't understand why he didn't chose Shina, though..."

"Stop that." Riste said in annoyance. "I do not like it when people talk continually."

"Sorry..." Ceris grumbled. Malina gave him a quick, apologetic smile. It was just the way that Riste was. A grumpy guy.

As they walked down the halls, Malina allowed her mind to wander. Her magic seemed to be having more and more abilities every day. It seemed, also, to be gaining intelligence. It was very odd. However, her magic had not asked her to do anything unreasonable yet. It just wanted her to succeed.

Malina realized, after a moment, that they were outside. She had never been in the city of the Zoras. Although, yes, it was about the same as the building, it was still some new scenery. It was a warm day, as it always was in the Zora's Domain, and people were already coming out to play in the rivers that colored the town.

They walked to the wall. It was made of a different matireal than the rest of the city. This rock was a light brown, more of a tan than anything. There was a large gate that was made from wood as well. It was the only wood thing, besides the palm trees, that Malina had seen in the Zora's Domain.

Near it, stood the entire group. Delila was already there, saying good-bye to her mother. She had false tears in her eyes, but Delila was a pretty good actor, so no one minded. Yuumei walked over to Malina first, a sad look on her face.

"Good-bye, Mal. Good luck with your training, too." She then turned to Ceris. "You take good care of her, now. I don't want anything bad happening while I'm gone." Ceris nodded, and the smug smirk was back on his face.

"Bye, Yuumei." Was all that Malina could manage. After that, a heart wrenching, tear creating moment happened. However, Malina blocked that out of her mind. The next day, she couldn't remeber anything besides saying good-bye to Yuumei.

**A/N- Yeah, this will be revealed later. What happened, I mean. Crappy ending, but R&R anyway.**


	18. A Starlite Night

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews, darthritter86, maximushyrule, and The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule. I am so so so sorry for the slow update! I started school last Monday, and then I went camping, and now I only get an hour to write every day!  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

"What is it now?" Malina mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Riste was waking her up in the middle of the night. She had probably gotten an hour of sleep, then. How wonderful. She had dreamed about something, but she couldn't remember what it was.

_It was about Yuumei. She was singing a lullaby to you, and you were just a baby._

Ah, the ever helpful voice within Malina's mind. Even though it had been a week and a half since they had left, she still felt a dull ache. Even though Yuumei had the potential of being an enemy, Malina could not help but miss her. The woman had a kind, warm presence about her, a presence that was dearly missed by now.

"Up. It does not matter what we are doing, as long as we are doing something, yes?" Riste said simply. He then grabbed her boots, pulled off her warm sheet, and forced the boots on her. Malina was unsure whether or not this was a good sign. It could mean that they were going to start working late into the night, and it could mean something entirely different. Personally, she was hoping for option two.

As they left the room, Ceris, who was waiting outside as usual, gave her a little nudge. "I bet you're just so excited that he woke you up. I can tell by that crazy look in your eyes." Crazy? Malina? That was a possibility.

They walked down the familiar hallways, and the only thing that she could hope for was that Vaati wasn't here, coming to kill her. That would not be a good thing, especially with her magic insisting on repeating that terrible dream at least once a week to keep her wanting to continue training. When Malina had said that she was fine, her magic announced many long and scientific words that she did not know. It just proved that her magic was learning faster than she was. What was wrong with her?

_Well, you have schizophrenia for one thing._

_And that means...?_

_It means that you hear voices in your mind that aren't your own, and that you haven't made up. It's a slight problem._

_See? I knew there was something wrong with me..._

_Ah, Master's going to talk now._

"Okay, when we get out there, I want you to draw out your magic as much as possible. I want to see what happens, because I can compare it to what happened to Vaati when we took him outside in an occasion as such." Riste said.

Malina stared at him blankly. "Can you tell me what's going on? It might help me." Riste snorted, but did not answer.

Finally, she realized that they were leaving the building. Whatever was going on, it had to take place outside. And what about Vaati? Did he want to see how much they were alike? To see if she would be a danger to the future world any time soon? A thousand thoughts raced through Malina's mind at once, but only a few seemed to be anywhere close to being likely. So, she focused more on what the other two were doing.

Riste was walking; no surprise there. His arms swung further than most people's, but it helped that he had very long arms. It made him look slightly like a monkey. A funny thought, really. However, because he might be listening, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. No need to get in further trouble.

Ceris seemed to be on constant alert. One of his hands were on his sword at all times while the other was free. The free hand was always near Malina in case he would need to push her back or something. In the breeze his hair floated around his face and she could feel her face turn red as she realized she was staring at him. Again. It was becoming slightly problematic, because every once in a while, Riste would notice. When he would, he would yell at Ceris for being in the way when it was really her fault for being so...

Malina never got to finish that thought because her magic spoke. _Oh, I see what he's thinking. I get it... how silly. I didn't even consider the power that the cosmos had over me. And the Goddesses. Oh dear, he is smart, isn't he?_

_What are you talking about?_

_Ah, you shall understand as we go along. It's rather simple with the appropriate figures..._

_I have no clue what you're talking about, and I'm not going to pay attention long enough to find out. In-_ Malina began, but was quickly stopped as they reached the wall. What were they doing here?

"Once we get beyond that wall, there is no protection from the outside world." Riste said, staring up at the wall. "We will have no way of talking to the Zoras, because they will not be able to hear you beyond the wall. If we go out, however, we might learn some very important things that we need to know. But there is also a chance that we will be unable to return here. Or at least some of us. We don't know what Vaati is planning, after all."

"I think that it's better to take some risks in life than to live in shelter all your life." Malina said. The message was clear: she wanted to learn whatever it was that Riste had to teach her, no matter what it happened to be.

The man nodded, his face still having no expression. That was another thing that she had noticed about him. It was either he was angry, or he was feeling nothing. A smile had obviously touched his face when he had been teaching Vaati, but it was hard to believe. He looked as though there had never been a happy day in his life.

_You're getting off track, my sweet innocent._

_Huh? I'm not innocent, you should know that by now._

_My dear, I have seen from the end of the universe to the beginning. I have seen the first moment of time, and I can see the end. I learned all of this whilst you slept, within three or so weeks. It is near impossible for me **not **to see you as an innocent, Mally._

Malina chose by this point to ignore the voice within her mind and follow Riste into the woods. She had mindlessly walked across the bridge, being already used to following the elder man. Following her by not far was Ceris. She felt like she was being the overly protecting Princess again, and that annoyed Malina. She wasn't as helpless as they all thought. However, even as those thoughts rushed through her mind, she realized that being overly protected was better than not being protected at all.

The woods were dark and, quite oddly, cold. The sudden climate change caught Malina off guard and she shivered. She was used to it being warm all the time, and the sudden cold reminded her that it was nearly winter everywhere else. She suddenly wished that she hadn't wanted to leave. She quickly brushed the thoughts from her mind, choosing to take another look around.

The woods were dark, nearly as dark as the sky. The trees all were brown, including the leaves. In fact, everywhere seemed to be dirty brown or pitch black, which happened to be two colors that Malina detested. However, she did like chocolate brown.

After perhaps ten minutes of them walking through the forest, they came to a clearing. Riste walked over to the middle and sat down. Malina didn't question him, she just sat down next to him. Ceris did not sit down; he was patrolling the area with a serious look on his face. It seemed that he couldn't even take a half a moment off from his duties which slightly annoyed the thirteen-year-old that sat a few paces from him.

"Lay down." Riste instructed. "And do as I told you when I say so." Malina did as he said and stared upward, to the stars. After perhaps five or so minutes, she felt something happen. It was a warm and strange feeling. Her magic laughed openly.

_Look up, little Mally!_

So she did. And shock came over her. There appeared to be at least five falling stars across the sky, all at once. Malina pointed dumbly up at the black sky, and Riste snorted at her. Ceris looked up and also seemed to be slightly surprised, but not as much as her.

"What, have you not ever seen a meteor shower before?" Riste asked, his eyes slightly annoyed. Malina nodded, her face still in wonder. Ceris even sat down next to her to watch it. "Have you?" He asked, his question now pointed towards the boy.

"Yeah... but only once." Ceris answered softly.

"All right, then. Now, Malina." Riste said, giving a sharp look to the amazed girl. She snapped out of it and sighed. It was always work and no play. Well, she was in training, so she supposed that it didn't matter.

_Stop thinking and start working! _Her magic exclaimed. Malina rolled her eyes.

As she called her magic, she could only wonder what they were thinking would happen. Her magic seemed to be slightly annoyed and sent Malina a few images of her using her magic. That was a hint to start focusing and ignore any little thoughts that she might happen to have.

After a moment, a feeling of loss came over Malina. Not loss as in pain, but as though she had lost something that she had been holding. A sigh escaped her mouth as she realized what it was. Her magic felt as though it were gone. She opened her eyes to look around and blinked in surprise. A little girl with short, blond hair stood in front of her. The girl had bright purple eyes and was tiny.

"Who are-" Malina began, but the girl cut her off.

"Oh, is this what I would look like if I was a human! I didn't expect to be so small... and my clothes are very white." Her magic suddenly turned to Riste and gave a quick bow. "Master, it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time. We must make this lesson short since Mally is not very quick."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Malina exclaimed. "What's going on!? Are you my magic?! How did you get out of me!"

The girl rolled her eyes and sat down. She began drawing in the dirt, speaking softly. "Now, let's say that this circle is you. This huge circle right here is me. We can say that, in basic terms, I am the universe compacted. It is a rather long and complicated story, so I'll have to give it to you in a nature that everyone here can understand. Sword Boy, you need to know this as well. This happens to be something that Vaati's magic wouldn't tell you."

"Hurry. We only have limited time before the meteor shower ends." Riste urged.

"I know, I know. Now, I am, in another sense that would make more sense to you Hylians, a piece of the Triforce that was given life force and put within a human being. I'm not quite that, but pretty close. My power is immense as soon as it fully matures, and you, Mally, will be the glove for my hand. I can use you in any way that I want, and do anything that I would like with you. However, you must know that I won't use you for anything of evil intent. The most likely thing will be searching for my other parts. Or, since I already know where Vaati is, the other part to this puzzle."

"What do you mean?" Malina asked, who was now thoroughly confused.

"As there are three parts to the Triforce, there are three parts to me. Vaati has one part, and someone else has a piece, too. The Books of Wisdom, Courage, and Power were written by us. I wrote the Book of Wisdom. Whichever of us,Vaati and me that is, find the person first will be the person to win this war. I'm afraid that as soon as one of us die, we will be gone. All of us, I mean."

The thought of her magic disappearing frightened Malina. What if Vaati found the person first? Would she die? It seemed very likely that she would, indeed, die. She closed her eyes and tried to think straight, but it wasn't working right now. She would just have to listen and learn.

"Even with all of this power that I have in my hands, I have to have help to win this war. When they return, or Malina finishes with her training, I'm going to make a war plan. I can speak to Power, as I'd like to call Vaati's magic, any time that I'd like. It doesn't take much effort, so any time you'd like for me to talk to him, I'd be more than happy. Now, Riste. After a while, your services will no longer be needed and I will begin to teach Malina what she needs to know. I know more about magic than any single person should ever know. If you ever need to know anything about magic, just ask Malina to ask me."

Riste nodded, but his face was slightly annoyed that a little girl was telling him what to do. "Is there anything else that you would ought to tell us right now?" Riste asked, but it sounded more like an angry growl.

"Yes." Her magic said plainly. "I would rather to be referred to as Wisdom from now on as a first. Not 'Malina's magic.' That's fairly stupid name in my opinion. Secondly, that boy right there, Sword Boy as I call him, might be the lost part to this puzzle we have here." Ceris stood up immediately, his face showing shock and anger at this.

"I am not going to have some stupid magical voice in my head." He said, sounding furious. Wisdom stood up from her squatting position and brushed off the front of her white dress. When she looked up from her dress, her violet eyes were fiery and full of an unnameable anger. Even the boy who was at least a foot taller than her took a step back.

"You might. And then again, you might not." Wisdom said flatly. "If you do happen to have a voice within your mind, I can promise you that it will show itself within the next year. Get to know me. Be my friend. I would hate to have you as an enemy, and more than anything, I think that Mally would hate to have you as an enemy. I would like there to be one day a week that you two try to be friends. I don't care what you do, but I think that Mally would profit from having a day off. Don't you think so?"

Riste could only nod by this point. Malina did as well, but she was much more enthusiastic. Ceris looked down, a flash of nothing but hate towards Wisdom came from his eyes.

"It's settled, then." Wisdom said, clapping her hands together. However, her hands were see-through. She seemed to notice this and still remain calm. "The meteor shower is ending already, I see. Ah, well, it was a pleasure to be able to see you all for the first time and not just in a memory. Thank you very much." She bowed again, and she pulled herself up, a slight smile was on her face. Quite suddenly, Wisdom burst into a bright light and was sucked into Malina.

For quite a while no one said anything. No one could think of anything to say. Especially Malina. It was hard to suck everything in, including Wisdom. It was rather difficult to get the magic flowing again. After a while, she finally did. And when she did, there was only one thing she could think of to say.

"Let's go home."

* * *

Yuumei looked up at the sky as she sat on the log that Sparrow had pulled out of the river. They were finally in the Hyrule Field and it had taken them long enough. They had gotten lost for quite a while until a few Kokiri had found them. After that, they had not wanted them back in. From this experience, Yuumei had learned not to stray from a path or you get a bunch of angry children with swords come after you.

As she stared up at the stars, a light frown etched her face. There appeared to be bright lights that were going across the sky. What were they? As though to be an answer to her question, Shina sat down next to her.

"Isn't it pretty?" She asked softly.

"Yes, but what is it? Even though I've lived in Hyrule for nearly six years, I've never seen anything like this."

"It's called a meteor shower." Shina began to explain. "I'm not sure why they happen, but they do, I guess. Make a wish."

"Why?" Yuumei asked, curiosity coloring her voice.

"I don't really know, I guess." Shina admitted, laughing slightly. "I guess it's just something that we always have done here. Just make a wish, whatever you want."

So Yuumei did. Do you know what she wished for? She wished for Malina to be as happy as possible and not to be scared of the future, no matter what it held.

* * *

Vaati stood on the balcony and glanced at Power, whose black hair and violent red eyes seemed out of place for some reason. "I hear that you've been having troubles, Vaati. Is there anything you'd like to dump on me whilst I'm here?" Power asked, his eyes glowing for an instant.

"I'm not sure what to do." The violet haired man admitted. "I thought that the brat would have killed me by now, but I guess that I was wrong. Even with all of that power within her grasp, I should have expected her to go find a teacher. What was not expected was that she agreed to everything that that old fool said."

"You should be used to surprises by now, Vaati." The other man said, placing a deathly white hand on the other man's shoulder. "You'll never get anywhere if you keep this up. Remember, you have me and I have two suspects on who Courage might be. There is, of course, that boy Ceris as Wisdom thinks, but there is another. It's your cousin, Daysin." After hearing this, Vaati began to swear to himself.

"Tura ran away. I know where he is, of course, but it would be difficult to bring him back. He feels great guilt because he still thinks that he killed the one that he loved, which is not true. He left right after the party ended. My only guess on where he is happens to be Kakariko, where he was born and raised. He didn't run into the others because he wandered around in the Lost Woods for a while before he left. I should have sent someone after him..."

"Yes, you should have, Vaati. It's not like you to make mistakes and I would rather you not begin right now. But there is only chance, you must remember. We don't even know all of the people who could be Courage yet. We only know two. Don't forget, Vaati, that you weren't the only person that I could have picked. There were only two people for me, but that didn't make a difference. It was the teacher or the student, and I chose the student. Be glad, boy."

Vaati could only nod to this, still murmuring to himself. "I should have killed her when I had the chance. Every day this is turning out to be more and more of a mess, especially since I learned that only Wisdom can look at the Book of Wisdom."

"You could not kill Wisdom!" Power almost shouted. "Killing her before Courage chose his human would be like destroying the world!" After a moment, he calmed down. "I can understand what you would mean, though. I almost wish we could, but that is not possible in this war. We must be careful in what we do and how we do it. This war will be dreadful to no doubt in what I can understand."

"I don't care." Vaati said flatly. "I just want to be able to kill that brat myself. She's been bothering me since we first met, and I can no longer stand it. As soon as Courage reveals himself, I'm going to kill her."

"By then you might remember everything, so I suggest that you plan this out carefully." Said Power. "All we know about her is that she was very important to your life. She might still be as soon as we're all done with this."

"Whether she is or not, she's going down." Vaati hissed. "I hate her so much..."

Power watched him with only slight confusion. Why did Vaati hate Malina so much? It was understandable to hate someone a lot, but Power had seen Vaati's thoughts. Vaati's happy place, as some people called it, was where he was strangling her, or watching her burn, or even stabbing her in the chest with a knife and slowly twisting it. Power was evil sometimes, but this was getting a little bit strange.

"Now, now. You ought to calm down, we need to make plans in any event of attacks." Power said, but Vaati seemed to think he was on a roll, so he continued with his demented speech and ignored the inhuman thing next to him.

"Calm down?! How can I calm down?! I need to kill this girl! I'm certain that it's her fault I can't remember anything! From when I was about twelve and on, there is a large blank spot! I can't even remember my own age very well. I think that I might be twenty-three, but I'm not even certain about that..."

Power remained silent. There was nothing to say by this point. That was when he began fading away. Vaati sighed upon seeing the fading man next to him. Power spoke only a few words then, and remained silent for a week thereafter.

"You love her, don't you?"

The question hung in the air heavily, and Vaati did not answer for a quite a while. He just stared up at the stars and wished he could kill everything and everyone. Except Malina. He would torturre her for the rest of her life.

Finally, after a quite a while, he spoke again. "Yes, and that's why I hate her." Then he fell to his knees and began to weep, feeling more exhaustion than pain. It was terrible that Vaati would admit that to anyone, including himself, but it was the truth. Somewhere deep inside him, Vaati loved Malina more than he loved the world. He needed to kill her so he wouldn't have to feel that love anymore.

And that's why Vaati hated Malina.

**A/N- Over 4000 words! Score! Anyway, I'm still very very sorry that I didn't update sooner! Please R&R!  
**


	19. Fire

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, maximushyrule, and darthritter86. This chapter is _not _going to be about Malina, but it's still important.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Zelda or First Love in any way.**

Yuumei glanced around, a slight frown on the woman's face. Everyone else seemed to be in shock. It was fairly hard to believe, but not impossible as they made it out to be. However, it still frightened the young woman.

All of Lake Hylia was eclipsed in darkness. A cold wind blew across their faces as the group stared upon it. The darkness seemed to suck things in, very slowly. Either that, or it was growing larger by the moment. For some reason, the second seemed to be more likely to Yuumei.

In the silence, snow began to fall from the dark sky. She looked up to see that it appeared to be not only snow, but ashes. Vaati was doing his job very well, and for that reason was Yuumei terrified of ever meeting him. She could only hope that someone else would defeat him before she was supposed to. That is, if she ever did get the chance. It didn't seem very likely, but she would have to avenge Malina if she died.

"What do we do now?" Shina asked, defying the deathly silence. At this, Marit frowned and glanced over to Yuumei, who immediately understood. She was going to be a scout into the darkness. Which was not her idea of fun.

That was a problem for Yuumei, of course. She was from Areu, the land of dark and light. The land of gray. The land where you can withstand the brightest of lights, if you're from there, and the darkest of darkness. She didn't particularly like darkness, but she had to otherwise they wouldn't know the real source of the darkness. Really, she had no choice but to do so.

"I shall be back in a moment." Yuumei said plainly.

As the young woman made her way to the darkness, she glanced back. All of the others besides Shina seemed slightly confused as to what she was doing. Then again, none of them knew that she could pass into the darkness without being harmed.

Yuumei paused in front of the dark wall. She glanced at the bracelet that was on her right wrist. She quickly tore it off and tossed it over to the only other girl. "Take good care of that, will you? I'll be back in a moment." And so, after saying these things, Yuumei walked into the darkness.

The instant that she walked in, a cold feeling washed over her. This was why Yuumei did not like darkness. It was horribly cold and there was nothing she could do about it. Light, however, could be just as bad. Too hot and bright sometimes. There was a reason why she preferred to walk in both. Walking midway was nice.

Yuumei glanced around, her sharp black eyes taking everything in. The grass was dead and no snow fell here. Only the ashes. She could see that there was something burning, but no light gave it away. No heat found this place, and only a black color could be found to those regular human beings. Luckily for Yuumei, she was not. She could see everything just fine, even if it was in just black and white.

Yuumei walked to the bridge, curiosity in her eyes. It was silent except for the thudding of her feet hitting the stone below her. Yuumei looked to the sky, and the thudding of her feet stopped. No stars. No light. Nothing. Despair filled her soul for a moment as she looked up at the wide expanse before her. Was there no end to this darkness that Vaati had placed upon them? Was there an end to this sky? What was to be done?

That was when Yuumei quickly pulled herself together, shaking her head. This was no time for wondering. If she wished to immerse herself in darkness later, she could do as she pleased. However, for now, she needed to do her job.

At the midpoint on the bridge, Yuumei stopped again. She leaned over the edge of the bridge, looking into the water. She expected to see her own reflection, as the dark water showed within her own land, but that was not what she saw. Her own dark mirror was reflected. Yuumei cringed back in disgust. However, curiosity came over her fear and she leaned over again. Her shadow copied for a moment, but did something that she did not expect. It pointed to Kakariko.

Yuumei followed the action after a slight hesitation. Her shadow disappeared, but she understood what it meant. They were going to attack Kakariko next.

* * *

Daysin laughed and pulled away from the small child. "No, I told you already! I don't have any rupees! I can't get you anything..." The child pouted, showing his large blue eyes. Daysin felt himself giving into the two-year-old's wishes, then remembered he hadn't payed rent yet.

"I'll get you some candy soon." The near man promised. "I promise." The small boy brought out his pinkie, indicating for them to do a pinkie swear. Daysin did so, grinning.

The breeze felt wonderful on Daysin's forehead and layed down on the ground, staring up at the lage expanse of sky. Troubled thoughts that the child had managed to keep at bay returned all too quickly, ruining the day.

What was Vaati doing right now? Why hadn't Vaati come after him and killed him yet? What was he waiting for? And what about the Princess? Was she really dead? Was it his fault? All of these thoughts ran through Daysin's mind quickly, piercing his soul. It had been nearly three months since he had left Vaati. What had happened since then? A feeling of dread was coming over Daysin. What was going to happen to him?

_Look forward to something. _Daysin begged to himself. _Anything at all. I- wait! Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be seventeen. Yes, that's something to look forward, right?_

The young man stood up, brushing his shaggy brown hair out of his flickering eyes. They were always flickering, ever since he had become unable to decide whether or not he should be with or against Vaati. He shivered, even at just the thought. Red... or purple? A question he would one day have to decide.

The sun was beginning to set, and Daysin began to hurry to the inn. That song... the girl would sing it if he didn't hurry. The song that hurt him more than anything he had ever heard, the song that was heartbreaking, the song that almost made Daysin want to die.

He was too late. A raven-haired girl was sitting in front of her house, which was right next to the inn. She was already singing, and he had to listen the moment that he walked by.

"The time that had stopped seems to start moving

Just all the things I don't want to forget

Tomorrow at this time

I will surely be crying

Probably thinking of you"

"You will always be inside my heart

Since there will always be the place for you

I hope that I have a place in your heart too

Now and forever you are still the one

Now it's still a sad love song

Until I can sing a new song"

"You are always gonna be my love

Even if I fall in love again with someone someday

I'll remember to love you taught my how

You are always gonna be the one

Now it's still a sad love song

Now and forever..."

Daysin quickly walked inside the inn, tears threatening to squeeze from his eyes. He had to be strong, otherwise he might actually kill himself. The song reminded him too much of the Princess. That black-haired girl had also lost the one that she loved. She sang that song every night to make sure she would not forget him.

Daysin wanted to forget the Princess.

He ignored the greetings from the people and went straight into his room. Nothing that anyone would ever say could help this heartache. Suddenly, Daysin felt the need to spill blood. He felt the need to pick up a sword and have a battle with someone. To slowly and painfully kill them, whoever they were. His eyes flashed quickly to blood red, and despair filled the young man's heart at this.

Daysin sat on his bed, anger in his eyes. He needed to find Vaati, and when he did, he would kill the elder. No matter what, he would kill Vaati. Why? Because he felt like it.

* * *

"Yuumei?" Sparrow asked softly. "Do you suppose that... Vaati will be there when he attacks?" Yuumei blinked at the question. She had never guessed that he might be there. As she rolled it over in her mind, she played with her bracelet.

"No." She finally said. "I don't think that he would be stupid enough to actually be there, leading an attack. I'm certain that he would have someone else go for him." Sparrow nodded and looked forward.

"All right, then!" Marit exclaimed. "The horses are rested up! We had better hurry to get to Kakariko."

Yuumei bit her bottom lip. None of them knew when Vaati would attack Kakariko, so they would have to hurry over there in case anything happened. She lightly touched her sabre that hung at the side of her horse. There was no way Vaati would win as long as she was alive.

They had their horses run at full speed, as they had been doing for the past twenty-four hours, with only a few rests. The wind blew Yuumei's short hair back, which was a nice break. However, her mind was far away from that. She was thinking about, as usual, Malina. The woman felt worried about the girl constantly, and was unsure as to why. She felt rather motherly for some reason, towards this girl. Perhaps it was due to the bracelet.

Even as she thought this, Yuumei pulled absently at her braclete. It looked exactly like the one she had given to Malina. It was impossible to stop thinking about her, wasn't it? She needed to get her mind off the young princess and onto the battle that would most likely be coming up.

As they neared Kakariko, Yuumei felt shock come over her. Those shadow creatures were coming in legions to attack Kakariko. There didn't seem to be any way to defeat all of them with the small amount of people that they had. The others seemed slightly anxious as well. Still, she could tell they would fight to no end if it needs be.

"We had best hurry." Yuumei said, her voice low. Shina jumped off her horse at the exact moment that Yuumei spoke and ran towards Kakariko. If there was any classification for the girl in her fighting style, it appeared to be the style of the Sheikah.

Yuumei jumped off her horse as well and drew her sabre. The others did similar and raced over to Kakariko. At first the young woman wondered why they were leaving their horses behind, but then she realized it was too risky to bring them in. No use in letting perfectly good horses die.

* * *

Daysin looked outside, his face tired. For some reason, he couldn't sleep. It was as though something was coming. He absently looked out the window. It was unlikely that he would be able to see anything because it was so dark, but he could always try.

A darkness even greater than the one of night was approaching. Daysin's eyes widened as he saw this. Vaati. It had to be him.

The young man pulled on his boots quickly and left, not taking any of possesions with him. A voice spoke in his mind, one that he did not know. _Look for Jared. He's in danger._ Even though Daysin guessed that this meant he was going insane, he ran outside.

The little boy that he knew was being held by one of the shadow creatures by the neck. Daysin narrowed his eyes at the beast. This boy was his friend, and he wasn't going to let some stupid monster get to it.

Daysin felt his magic flowing through him. He focused all of his energy on creating fire in his hands. As soon as he felt the heat of the flames, he shot it at the shadow beast. It dissappeared as the fire hit it, dropping Jared onto the ground. Daysin ran over to the little boy and knelt down beside him.

"Are you okay?" He demanded. The boy looked up at him with fearful eyes and ran away, into his house. Daysin felt a slight pain at this. He had guessed that people would be frightened of him because of his magic, and so he had kept it a secret.

_It's too late for that now._ The voice said. _Hurry and defeat the shadows before anything happens to anyone else._

_Who are you, and what are you doing in my mind?! _Daysin growled, not moving. The voice seemed to sigh.

_I don't really feel like telling you right now. However, I'm testing you to see if you and I could ever be one. You have to battle for the sake of others, now._

_What if I don't feel like it?_

_Too bad._

Daysin frowned at the little or no sympathy in the voice's... er, voice. He might as well listen to it. Or maybe he could rejoin Vaati? That might be a good idea, too. He only had defeated the creature because it was going to kill Jared.

_Shut up and do what I tell you. Behind._

Daysin turned around, feeling the rush of fire plowing through him. Just as he was about to throw it into the shadow creature's face, he realized it wasn't a shadow creature. It was a girl. She seemed to be just as surprised at seeing him as he was at seeing her.

"Who the heck are you?!" The girl demanded, startling the young man. However, he had other things to deal with, like destroying more of the shadow beasts as they came after him.

Daysin gathered as much magic for his fire as he possibly could, his eyes shining. "Get in back of me, and don't ask any questions!" The girl did as she was told and Daysin grinned. All of that violence he had been saving up was finally going to come out. It was finally time to let some of that pain and anger out.

Fire blasted from both his hands and his mouth. The whole town of Kakariko lit up due to the large amount of power that he threw out. His eyes, for but a moment, turned blood red and glowed slightly. All of the shadows were destroyed by both the fire and the light. He brushed his dark brown hair out of his eyes afterward, as though nothing had happened. The girl did not act the same.

"Who and what are you!?" She demanded again. Daysin glanced at her, a slight smirk on his face.

"You shouldn't be so rude. It might endanger your life someday. To answer your question, I am Daysin and a sorcerer-wizard-thing. Whatever." The girl's eyes narrowed at this and she got into a defensive position.

"I am Shina, member of the Knights of Night, here to place you under arrest for working with Vaati."

_Well. _Daysin thought, surprise thick in his mind. _I didn't see that coming._

* * *

Vaati stared at the stars, his eyes slightly glazed over. Ever since his last talk with Power, he had been like this. Refusing to talk to anyone, and no emotion showing upon his face. Many had wondered what was wrong with their leader, but he had refused to answer any questions.

"I hate you, you brat," he murmured, staring up at the stars as though hoping for some answer. "Or do I love you?" No apparent answer came to him, so Vaati lifted the wine glass he had carried out to the veranda to his lips. Many would have thought that there was red wine within, but that was not so. It was blood.

"Perhaps... I could meet her. Talk to her. Have peace for one night." Vaati murmured, licking a drop of blood from dripping off his chin. "Maybe she could be on my side so I wouldn't have to kill her."

_You're stupid, yes?_

"Yes." Vaati answered Power aloud. "I am. I need to find a way to be smart, though."

_She will never join your side, no matter how hard you try. But you could always meet her in her dreams. It's rather fun to interrupt dreams, you know._

"I know." Vaati said irritably. "Maybe you could shut up for a moment, though. Blood usually clears my mind, oddly enough, but it isn't helping this time. Do you have any suggestions?" After saying this, he took another sip of the blood.

_Why would I? I'm not Wisdom. And besides, that pretty creepy that you drink blood.  
_

"Whatever. It doesn't matter what you think anyway. I think I will bother her dreams." Vaati seemed slightly pleased by this decision. He dropped the wine glass as he walked inside. It shattered, just as Vaat's dreams had so long ago. A few thoughts came to him as he sat upon his bed.

"I attacked Kakariko today, didn't I?"

_Yes._

"Oh. I guess it's too late, then. My cousin will have to come to me after this." Vaati felt rather confident. "And when he does, because I know that he will come back to me eventually, I will forgive him. I will always forgive him."

**A/N- Kind of a weird chapter, no? But that's what happens when Malina isn't around. I can promise you that the next chapter will be short. Anyway, R&R.**


	20. Dreams

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, maximushyrule, and darthritter86.I'm sorry I haven't updated! I lost any inspiration for this story for an instant. But now I've got some, so we're all good.  
**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Zelda**

"There are no cats in all of the WaterPlace!" The robin exclaimed. "In the ForestPlace, yes, but there are no cats here. That's why I like to be here. And also, the WaterPeople are so much more kind to us than the ForestPeople. It's warm here, too. I love this place so much that my mate and I are considering living here forever. Wouldn't that be nice? I haven't had a permanent home in all of my entire life! Flying from place to place. It can be really tiring, you know? In fact-"

"Stop talking to the bird, Malina." Riste said, annoyance firm in his voice. Malina looked up, blinking. A week ago, he had begun to teach her how to speak to animals and how to transform into other creatures. The young girl loved talking to birds because they always had so much to say. Especially robins.

"Good bye, Redchest. Tell your mate that there will be a storm tonight, as my master has predicted." Malina whistled softly to the bird, who quickly dipped his head before answering.

"May the winds carry you where you need to go." Redchest said as a parting word. However, he hesitated and said, "Another storm is coming, but not one from the sky. A storm that comes from the ground and makes fire. A storm that will make you take the eternal sleep if you are not careful. The fire that will come from the storm can wipe us all out, even the one who makes the storm. I warn you of this now. Be careful."

The robin quickly flew away, forcing Malina to watch it go in slight confusion. A storm? That comes from the ground and makes fire? A storm that could... kill her? That didn't make any sense. What did Redchest mean by that?

"Do not listen to it, Malina. Robins are notorious for spreading rumors like that." Riste snorted. "Little snipers. Come, show me your wolf form. It will most likely still need work, yes? I wouldn't expect anything less from you..."

"And masters are notorious for ruining fun..." Malina grumbled, standing up. She closed her eyes, and Wisdom began to speak with her.

_You know, we're nearly at the half-way point in your training._

_Shut up, I need to do this._

_Fine, fine. _

Malina took in a deep breath and felt the magic flush through her. She hesitated for less than a second and was immediately called off by Riste. "You'll never be good if you keep this up." He growled. "Stop hesitating. You have the power to do this, but you are so unsure of yourself. Let's go inside if we have nothing else. We won't make any more progress today, anyway. You're nearly impossible to work with, you know that?"

Malina almost wanted to whine that it wasn't her fault, that _he _was the one that was impossible, but... she knew that nothing would help her. That was the problem with Riste. He had a tendency not to listen to anyone.

A light touch on Malina's hand brought her out of her thoughts. She glanced over and saw Ceris. His face was flat, showing no emotion, but his eyes showed something different. His eyes were warm and soft, sympathetic. Malina felt her face heat up and she looked down, quickly trying to distract herself from his deep brown eyes.

What about Redchest? Was what the robin said just a rumor? Was it merely gossip? Even as she thought this, anger returned to her. After all, Riste never believed her. The bird was probably more right than he ever was. After Malina thought this, she felt guilty. After all, he was her master.

She pulled her mind away from this subject as well. Another subject she had been avoiding floated into her mind. The little group that consisted of her friends. Were they all right? What had happened to them? There was no way of communicating with them, really, so what could she do to help them? Or even just know what happened to them. To be honest, to know what happened to them would quench her thirst for all of this knowledge that she did not posses.

_You could just ask me. I know everything._

_You're not helping, and bragging is bad. You should know that._

_I do. I just don't happen to use everything that I know. You don't either, you know._

_What do you mean?_

_If you remembered the Book of Wisdom, then this training would go by much faster._

_What do you- oh, whatever. I'll figure it out eventually._

_Good girl._

Malina began the long walk down the hall to her room with Ceris in silence. Both of their footsteps echoed, but it seemed to be nothing compared to the beating of her heart. It was bad enough that she liked him more than a friend, but... these few days that they had spent together, just them were maddening. Malina swore that she wanted to scream with all of her might, no matter what anyone said.

Even so, Ceris seemed to be totally unaware of her feelings toward him. His job was, after all, to protect her. Nothing else. She could tell that the days that they spent together were torturing him too, but in a different way. Malina wasn't sure quite why, though.

She paused in front of her large, stone door. For some reason, sleep didn't seem as wonderful as it usually would. Something about it was bothering the girl, and apparently Ceris seemed to notice this as well.

"What's wrong?" He murmured, lightly touching the hilt of his sword. Malina blinked at this, knowing that it wasn't something that a sword could touch.

"I don't know." She answered. "I think that there's something wrong, though. I'm getting an ominous feeling about my room, as though there's something waiting for me there. Like a nightmare or something. Perhaps a spirit...?"

"No." He said flatly, flicking his dirty-blond hair out of his eyes. "It's something else... I know I don't have magic or anything, but this person isn't doing a very good job at hiding their presence. Unless, of course, they want us to know that they're there. You better let me go in first."

Malina nodded, biting her bottom lip. In all honesty, what could he do in a match against magic? His sword might deflect it for the moment, but it could easily be shattered. Then again... he was supposed to be her bodyguard. If he was going to be a good one, he probably thought he would fight before she ever would or could. For some reason, that hurt.

As they opened the door, fear took hold of Malina. Haunting pictures filled her mind as she remembered him. Vaati, standing there, holding the staff, trying to kill her. Vaati saving her life. Vaati talking to Zelda. Vaati hugging her. Vaati telling her stories. Vaati teaching her. Vaati being there. Most of all, Malina remembered that painful love. She loved Vaati, and there was never going to be a change to that. She loved him more than she could ever remember anything.

"Vaati..." Malina hissed, falling to her knees. The man in all of her memories... it was Vaati. Her mind was overloading, more pain than she could even imagine was flowing into her body, and she didn't want to feel it any more. So, she passed out, leaving Ceris standing there in shock.

* * *

When Malina opened her eyes again, she felt small. She looked up and saw her mother holding her, gently stroking her hair. Another odd thing about this dream was that her hair was the same color as her mother's, not mousy brown as it was now.

"Mama..." She whispered, hugging her mother. "Mama... where did he go? Why did he do that bad thing?"

"I don't know, honey." Zelda murmured, gently squeezing her. "He had to go, though. If he stayed, he would have hurt you. He would have hurt me, too. He would have hurt everyone. It's better this way. Maybe we can have peace now. I... I hope that everything will turn all right for us."

"I didn't want him to go..." Malina whimpered. "Why couldn't he have just been nice, mommy?" Zelda hesitated before answering.

"I'm not sure."

The moment that she said this, she faded away into the darkness that had been creeping up on Malina. The darkness she had not noticed. She was alone, alone. A frightening prospect, but it was true. Even now, in this darkness, she remained a mere child.

After spending what felt like an eternity in the darkness, despair, and pain, it ended. A light shone upon Malina's eyes, causing her to awaken and know what was going on around her.

Malina was in a field that was made of purple flowers, the kind of field that only appears in your dreams. A blue, blue sky hung over her head, and much to her dismay, Malina was still a child. As she gazed around the field, there seemed to be two spots that were different. Curiously, Malina walked over to one of them.

It was a spot where no flowers lay, just soil. As she took a closer look, there appeared to be one flower. A yellow flower, dried and barely alive. When Malina usually saw a flower as such, she wished to give it water. However, she felt no such wish with this flower. It had a slightly ominous feeling about it, as though this flower could suddenly spring out and kill someone. A silly thought, but it still never left the Princess's mind as she walked away, to the other spot.

The flowers were red, and in the middle of the circle sat Vaati, his eyes slightly glowing. Upon seeing her, he looked straight into her eyes. For quite a while, they merely held each others gazes. Finally, Vaati spoke.

"Please sit down." He indicated to the purple flowers, and Malina did as he asked without even thinking. He remained silent for a moment longer, and she was bursting with questions. So, she asked a few.

"Where am I?" At this question, Vaati stared at her with some slight anger in his eyes. However, he quickly brushed it away and answered.

"This is the place that you made up." He murmured. "When you were unhappy for some reason or other, you asked me to take you here. I put you to sleep and took you here. You always called it 'Sanctuary.' It always made you feel better."

"Does that mean you remember everything, too?"

"Oh, yes. Our souls, for but a moment, touched when you entered that room of yours. It forced old feelings out of us, and it also happened to force out old memories. In my original plan, I was going to take you here and talk to you about how I was going to kill you. Now I'm not sure."

"Why is it that you're on red flowers?"

"Because. I cannot step into your world without tainting it. This is the only part that I am willing to taint."

"Oh. Then why is there a yellow flower over there? It felt kind of scary for some reason..."

"A man named Ganondorf found his way here, once. That was the area that he stood in, always watching you. He had plans for you that no one was able to understand. Alas, he was trapped. He could no longer do anything."

"Do you know who my daddy is? I can't remember that."

"That's because no one ever told you. Your parents were careful, because your mother had an affair." At this, shock eclipsed Malina's face.

"What?!"

"The man that Princess Zelda was married to was a man of high nobility. He was, unfortunately, very sick most of his life. Some of the diseases were inherited. Your mother was fearful that you might gain many of these diseases. She wanted you to be a healthy, good child. You could not be this child if this man were to be your father."

He paused for a moment, then continued. "She turned to her best friend, a man she knew was in love with her. He was strong, brave, a bearer of the Triforce, and kind. She knew that she would have a good child if you were borne unto him. She begged him, and he agreed that it was for the best that you were not the other man's child. This man's name, by the way, was Link. A rather curious name, don't you think?"

_Link. _The word floated about in Malina's mind. This was the name of her father. "So? What happened then?" She pressed, and Vaati sighed before nodding.

"Your father... a year or so after you were born, the man that was supposadly your father passed away, but not before he passed on a disease to Link. He fought hard for many months, and finally died. That same night, your mother commited suicide because she missed her family. She knew that Impa would take care of you. Just before she died, the same night but before either of your parents died, she changed your hair color. Before it was a bright yellow, and then she changed it to the brown it is now."

Malina closed her eyes, feeling sadness. Her parents had a dark history, apparently, and she felt even more sad that they had come to such a horrible demise. Why couldn't they all have lived happily together? Her, Zelda, Link, Impa, and even Vaati. Wait a moment. What did happen with Vaati?

"Vaati..." Malina said slowly. "What happened all those years ago? The reason why we're separate now. What did you do that was so horrible?"

"I... suppose I couldn't avoid this story forever. I'd like to say that I'm not proud of what I did. Right now, anyway. By the end of the night, I don't think that I will care anymore." Vaati sighed and began his story.

* * *

_The violet haired boy stood up, yawning. The Princess opened one eye and looked up at him, pouting slightly. He gave her a quick smile and she closed her eyes again, going back to sleep. Vaati left, feeling slightly happy for some odd reason._

_He thought about, for a moment, going to see Riste. After all, he had not been to practice his magic for quite a while. However, he felt like doing something more productive, such as exploring the castle. All in all, he still got lost in the giant palace. Sometimes it threw him off that people actually lived here and it wasn't just a big thing of stone._

_Vaati began walking down the halls, his eyes interested in every little thing that they saw. Unlike what most people thought, he was a rather cheerful boy. It was hard not to be when you were a grand guest in the castle._

_The boy stopped at one of the paintings, staring up at it. It showed the Princess and the Queen. The Princess was sitting upon the Queen's throne, a gentle smile on the woman's face. He wondered if anyone was actually able to keep smiling that long, or if it was just the painter's doing. He could always ask, but with Vaati's scattered thoughts, he probably would never end up remembering._

_He turned a corner and found a staircase. It was one that he had passed often enough, but never really thought about or climbed. They seemed to go up quite a ways, and he was rather unsure if he was willing to walk all of that way._

_**Go.** A voice sounded in Vaati's mind and he took a step back, surprised. What was that? Was it a good thing to hear voices within one's mind? Should he listen? Should he not? What was so important about these stairs?_

_And yet, as though on their own, his feet moved him up the stairs. Vaati found himself walking up them, with curiosity having taken hold of him. He would find out what was on top of these stairs and find out about his voice. Perhaps he should talk to it? Even so, he did not._

_The stairs stretched on for quite a while, but he eventually made it to the top. On top there was a wooden door. The old, brass door nob was rusted with age and Vaati was surprised that it didn't fall off when he turned it to open the door._

_Inside, it appeared to be that none had entered it for years because it was very dusty. Upon entering, Vaati fell into a fit of coughing. When the dust finally cleared, he got a better look around the room he had just entered._

_It was a storage room of some sort. You would think that Vaati might be disappointed, but he wasn't. He understood the fact that there was more to these old rooms than meets the eye. Perhaps he could find something of interest and show it to the Princess._

_**No.** The voice echoed within the vaults of Vaati's mind. __**Now, look for a book. It will be red and look slightly like it is made from fine leather.**_

_**Who are you? **Vaati asked, bewildered._

_**All will become clear soon. All I ask of you for now is to find this book and open it.**_

_Vaati silently began searching for the book, wondering what was going on. After a while, he found a large book case. He began studying it, looking for the book. He touched each one while walking by slowly. One felt different, somehow. He picked it up off the shelf and examined it slowly. It was red and looked like it was made from leather._

_Vaati opened it._

_All at once, a great power flowed through him, causing a smile to be placed on his face. Suddenly, things became more clear. He was to be the ruler of Hyrule, and that was it. He wanted to be ruler and have all of the power in the world, making sure that it was his. His eyes turned a deep, blood red quite suddenly.  
_

_"It will be mine." Vaati murmured, and began to read the book._

_**I have done my job, **the voice thought with a hint of satisfaction in it's tone. **Let the games begin.**_

* * *

"...And that is what happened." Vaati whispered. Malina watched him, confusion deep in her purple eyes.

"I don't understand. How did the book make you evil? And what happened next?" She asked, her brow scrunching together. Vaati laughed softly at this.

"I don't know what that book did to me, but it made me so much more insightful. After that, I plotted the killing of Queen Zelda's father. Less than a week later, he had left this world. However, Zelda somehow found out that it was me and forced me into a sleep that I could only wake up from if someone with magic knew how. My cousin, Daysin, did so."

"Oh." Malina said blankly.

"After that, I couldn't remember anything about our relationship. All I could remember was that I needed to kill the heir to the throne to become the king. I still want to be king more than anything, more than I love you. I will not let you get in the way." Vaati said the last part harshly. "Now, I want this meeting to be over."

A bright flash came in her eyes before Malina could even ask another question, leaving her wondering what was going to happen next.

* * *

Malina opened her eyes slightly and saw Riste and Ceris standing above her, talking about something. "Stop worrying..." Riste crisply said. "She should wake up any moment. Vaati's magic is gone, now. Honestly."

"Are you sure?" Ceris sounded very worried. "Every little piece of his magic is gone, right? Nothing's here, right?"

"Yes, now be quiet. I am sick of your constant chatter. Good night... or should I say good morning? Either way, I am going to bed." Riste gave a small, annoyed wave before leaving the room. Ceris sighed and sat down on a chair that had not been in the room before Malina had fainted. His eyes were on her, and she hoped that she wasn't blushing.

Was he really worried about her? Did he care that much? She had always hoped that he liked her more than just a friend, but it seemed like a far off dream. Perhaps it wasn't. Maybe he actually liked her back. These peaceful thoughts followed her to her sleep...

**A/N- Wow, that actually wasn't short. And don't worry Malina, you won't be peaceful forever... BWA HA HA! ... R&R.**


	21. Plans Among Other Things

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule and darthritter86. And if you ever remember what you were going to say, just PM me.**

**Disclaimer- I dun own Zerda.**

"I honestly am not working with Vaati anymore!" Daysin cried, flinging his arms up in exasperation. "I ran away because I thought that he would kill me because... well, I just couldn't go back to him... I don't know why! I've told you everything I know, I swear."

Shina frowned at him. "I don't know, Marit. What do you think we should do with him?" The elderly man also frowned and began stroking his beard.

"I'm not sure what we should do either, to be honest." He admitted. "Vaati will very likely attack again, and soon. He could be helpful to us. Then again, however, he could be a nuisance who really does work for Vaati and will kill us all in our sleep. Yuumei, I believe this is in your expertise. Make him talk."

The young woman glanced up, slightly surprised about hearing her name. She walked over to Daysin and said, "For this to work, I think that everyone will need to leave."

Panic grabbed at Daysin's heart as she said this. What exactly was she planning to do to him that she could not let others see? Was it something horrid? No, they were just trying to make him talk, right? They wouldn't kill him if still needed him.

The moment everyone was gone, Yuumei turned to Daysin. "In Hyrule, everything is so different. You Hylians are much more predictable than my people were. My people are so much more advanced in the way that we think than you Hylians are. I can tell if you're lying or not by the smallest twitch on your face. If I were trying to know if the people in my land were lying, it would be so much more difficult. They can keep their faces perfectly straight at all times, unlike you all."

"What do you mean? Where are you from? _What _are you?" Daysin hissed, clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. Yuumei smiled, but there was happiness in it. He understood that it was not a real smile. What was she up to...?

"Me? I am simply a mirror of Hyrule. That is all my people are. The other side of the mirror. I am the mirror of Princess Malina, and there is nothing to be done about that." Yuumei said, her eyes flat.

"How can that be?!" Daysin demanded. "If you were truly just a reflection of the Princess, then wouldn't you be the same age as her?"

"No... I am older than her, but that is only because the other side of the mirror allows our souls to be made first. In my land, your half is probably about thirty. When I met Malina, I knew that she was me. In her, I could only see me. It is the fate of being a mere shadow to a person."

"Why are you telling me this?" Daysin asked, his voice wavering.

"You are about to hit a turning point in your life. You need to know what direction you're going. Whatever choice you make, it will affect the other you as well. I don't want to see anything ever happen to you, Tura." Her eyes flickered for a moment from their lifeless state at his name, but quickly reverted back.

"I'm a big boy, I think that I make my own choices." Daysin growled. "And don't call me that stupid name. I hate it more than the world itself."

"Do you hate it because your dear mother gave it to you?" Yuumei asked and he flinched. "She was so like me. She was from the same land as me but wanted to be more than a reflection. She wanted to feel real emotions, not just what we were supposed to as reflections. So she came here, found love, and had you. You hated her because she left you and your father alone, you hated her because she was the one thing in your life that was good and left you."

"Shut up." He hissed. "How do you know that?"

"Your emotions show so openly on your face..." She murmured, leaning forward until her face was in front of his. "It amazes me sometimes... how foolish you Hylians can be. The Twili are so much more..." She did not finish the sentence.

"Where did my mother go? What happened to her?" Daysin growled.

"She... she went home. She came to me, and cried into my lap, exclaiming about her broken heart. She was afraid for you and wanted for me to find you when I went on my journey here. I could not find you until now. Your mother loves you."

Daysin, by this point, did not answer. His fear for his mother was so suddenly gone. His mother was safe. That aching pain was finally gone, after seven years of fear. She was all right and that was all that mattered to him for now.

"I'll... I'll stay with your group for now." Daysin murmured, his hair falling across his face. "But I might not stay. For now, I'm willing to be your ally."

Yuumei brushed back his shaggy hair and whispered, "I'm glad. In this group, you won't have to be Daysin, you know that? I want you to have your mother-given name, Tura. Will you please be Tura for me?"

As an answer, Tura began sobbing.

* * *

Shina leaned against the wall of her room, anger in her eyes as she glared at Tura. "We don't need another freaking addition to our group, you know that, right? I don't want this guy in our group."

"As if we couldn't tell from your expression!" Marit muttered sarcastically.

"Please stop being so sullen." Yuumei said, her eyes full of worry, much unlike the other girl's. "He's been through a lot and-"

"I don't care if he died and came back!" Shina snapped. "I don't trust this guy, and I don't want him in our group, no matter what you people say!"

"Shina..." Sparrow tried, reaching out to touch her. She pulled away quickly.

"Don't touch me, bird boy! Ugh, I don't want to be around you people!" After saying that, she left, slamming the door behind her. Everyone glanced at each other, worry and confusion tight in their faces.

"I think I ought to go talk to her..." Tura murmured, standing up slowly.

"I think that you ought not do that." Marit answered, standing up as well. "That is, unless you'd like to get your face ripped off. If you would like to have that happen to you, be my guest and go talk to her. Shina needs her space sometimes."

"If I let her have space, she'll always hate me." Tura pointed out. "Besides, I've got my magic to protect me. If she tries to kill me or anything, I'll just put up a shield or something so she can't get me."

"All right, do as you'd like." Marit answered, brushing it off.

The moment that Tura left, Yuumei asked, "Why did you let him go? It doesn't seem likely that he'll ever come back."

"Yuumei, you always say that you can see every little emotion in a Hylian's face, and yet you miss so much. Tura will come back because Shina really likes him. She won't kill him no matter how much she wants to. Neither realize it yet, of course... silly youngsters."

* * *

Shina kicked the rocks, frowning. Maybe she should go to the springs to feel better. They always used to help her. But that didn't seem like a good idea for some reason to her. She wanted to do something else, but she wasn't really sure what that was. Perhaps if she wandered around enough, it would come to her.

Shina wandered over to the outskirts of Kakariko, where no one lived. She sat down behind a large rock and sighed, taking out her favorite book. Maybe it would help her out. She read this words that she knew by heart:

_The fair and beautiful girl cried, for the pain that she had expireinced before was nothing compared to this heartache. The man did not love her, and there was no end to this sorrow. She almost wanted to cry to the heavens, "Why? Why must this happen to me?" No answer, she knew, would come to her at any time._

_The knife in her pouch seemed like it was calling to her, suddenly, painfully. A song that she could answer. A song that no one could ignore, no matter how hard they tried. Her eyes watched the leather pouch as they had watched that man for so long. The knife seemed like a beautiful and wonderful thing to her, and she took it from the pack slowly._

_It was cold. She wanted, however, to feel the cold. It was-_

Shina suddenly closed the book, her heart beating quickly. It was a romantic book, indeed, but sadness always filled her up as she read those parts. Had the girl really wanted to die so badly because she had lost the one that she had loved to another?

"Nothing is helping..." Shina whispered and laid her head back against the rock, staring at the blue sky. "I don't get it. What's wrong with me?"

"That's what I'd also like to know." Tura said from the other side of the boulder. At this, she jumped up in surprise. A sudden anger filled Shina and her eyes narrowed. She leaned against the rock, trying her best not to run away from him. This boy that they all thought was their friend. This boy who would kill them one of these days. This boy who seemed so innocent, but she knew could not be trusted. It was as though they had all suddenly decided that Vaati was just a silly person who didn't know what he was doing.

"Go away." She said flatly, biting her bottom lip.

"No." Tura answered simply. "I won't leave you alone until you tell me what you're problem is."

"My problem is you. I don't like you or trust you whatsoever. I just can't wait until you kill one of us and proclaim your undying love for Vaati, your cousin. I don't think that you would just suddenly decide that you don't want to be on his side anymore, you filthy traitor."

"Ouch. Most guys don't like to be insulted by pretty girls, you know."

At this, Shina's face turned bright red. He thought that she was pretty? No boy had ever called her pretty. Mostly just 'That book kid' and things like that... after a moment, Shina remembered the fact that she didn't like him.

"W-well, I don't really care. You're just some stupid boy to me." She hissed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hm. Is there any way that I can help so that you don't hate me anymore? I don't like to be hated, really." Tura murmured, inching slightly over to her side. However, Shina was too deep in thought to really notice this.

"I... I don't know. Leave me alone, you freak." However, the insult was weak and she knew it.

"There must be something that I can do to help you out. I'm willing to be your servant. You're the only one that really doesn't like me, and I want to change that. Maybe it's true that I still miss Vaati a little bit, but another part of me wants to kill him for some reason. And I can't very well kill him alone."

Shina did not answer, but chose to sit down and stare up at the sky. A cold wind blew through and she shivered slightly. It was getting colder each day, and soon she would be unable to do anything outside her home. Even in Kakariko it snowed.

"Please." Tura whispered softly next to Shina's ear. She did not react to him being so close to him at first, but her heart seemed to be beating quite a bit faster after a moment and her voice sounded so unsure.

"I can be your friend... or I can be your enemy. You'll have to chose someday, Tura. I'm not sure whether or not that day is today, but I think that, at least for now, I'm supposed to be your friend. Now... please don't be so close to me, it feels rather awkward."

Tura pulled back, a pleased look on his face. "Oh, good. I was getting rather worried that you'd never accept me. My little charms do come in handy sometimes, then!"

"Charms?" Shina answered blankly. "What do you mean?"

"I was feeling a bit worried so I decided to see if I could turn on my lovely charm. Whenever Vaati needed something done with a woman, he had me do it because I can charm women into doing almost anything."

"Will you shut up?!" Shina exclaimed, standing up. Her face was bright red as she realized that he had, indeed, pretended to be sweet on her to get his way. "If you mention the fact that I fell for that to anyone, I'll ripe you to shreds, you little traitor, you!"

"Do you still forgive me, then?" He asked innocently.

"Go away, and shut up!" Shina hissed and punched him roughly in the arm.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, griping his arm.

"You deserved that, you little bug! Now get!" As Tura walked away, Shina felt her face turn a dark shade of scarlet. Had she really just been tricked by him? It was so rude. But... it had felt like something out of the books that she read when he had been so close to her... something that didn't happen in real life.

Something that Shina had been craving all of this time, and yet never getting. A crush.

* * *

Yuumei glanced at the girl, a deep sadness in her heart. "Oh, Sora. What are you doing here?"

The girl pouted up at the woman and whispered, "I wanted to see my brother, my Queen. I've never met him before, and... I just... I've seen him every day, you know. He walks past me and sometimes listens to me sing."

"Tura has enough on his mind and doesn't need you here. It's illegal for you to be here, anyway. You know that."

"I'm half-Hylian." Sora pointed out. "It's not illegal for half-Hylians to be here, is it?"

"How long have you been here?" Yuumei asked, sitting next to the half-Hylian half-Areua. The girl took a moment before answering.

"About four moons."

"Sora! You shouldn't be here in the first place, and yet you chose to stay here even after finding your brother?!"

"I didn't exactly get to meet him..."

"It doesn't matter. I know that you're mother is gone and everything, but you need to obey the rules. You should go home, tonight."

"Tonight!?"

"Yes."

"But... my Lady... this isn't fair. I want to help out with everything. I don't want to sit on the side-lines and watch the other half of my world be destroyed. You know by this point that I'm not one to sit back and watch how everything turns out. I love to help."

Yuumei was silent for a moment. She was unsure whether or not to send Sora home. She was a loud, impulsive, lovable girl who never had really understood pain. Even as her mother died, she did not feel hurt because her mother had not loved her. Sora learned to not cry because she knew no one loved her. She had nothing to lose.

Sora had almost been like a daughter to Yuumei ever since the girl's mother had left this world. A reflection cannot live in the world, after all. Sora's mother had broken almost every single rule that was ever placed for the people of Areu.

"All right. I might be able to allow you to stay here." Yuumei murmured. Sora squealed at this.

"Really, Queen Yuumei?! I can?! I promise to do anything that you ask of me! In fact, I-"

"Before you make any more promises, Sora, I want to ask you something. Will you be my lady-in-waiting?"

"Huh?"

"If all of this doesn't turn out well, I want you to be my replacement. If the other me dies, I will, too. I need someone to take care of things if I die."

"Is it that dangerous?"

"Oh, yes. That and more. That's why you and Tura are special. If either one of you die, nothing happens. Just a good comrade goes down."

Sora bit her bottom lip, frowning. She was barely eleven and already more than most people could handle. Yuumei didn't want to know what she would be like as a teenager. Finally, sky-blue eyes looked up at Yuumei, a seriousness that was uncommon for them.

"Okay. I'll do it. I wanna stay with my big brother, no matter what."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. I just... he's my only connection, you know? I mean, he's my only family. If I were unable to be with him... I guess that it would feel like no one was like me in the world. I'm pretty different anyway, but... well, you get the point."

Yuumei nodded, sighing. This girl could be helpful, but... she was a little strange.

* * *

Vaati stared at the ring, his eyes glowing faintly. "Power..." He murmured aloud. "Are the shadows gone yet? I want them out of my hair."

_Don't worry, Vaati. They're going._

"Oh, goody. Then everything is set." He stood up and walked over to the coffee table. He picked up one of the figurines and twirled it around slightly. It looked like the brat quite a bit. He placed it next to his figurines of Riste and Ceris.

_I really don't like it when you block me out of things. What are you planning?_

"It's simple, Power. I'm going to take my shadows..." He pushed a black cloth over to where the figures of Malina, Riste, and Ceris stood. "And wipe them out. Before you say anything, I want you to know that this isn't as simple as it seems. I only want to get rid of one person."

_And who is that?_

Vaati picked up the black cloth and covered the figure of Riste. "My old master."

**A/N- Dun dun duuunn! What's going to happen? Who knows?! Please, R&R and check out my poll if you have not already!**


	22. Hi Miss Alice

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, maximushrule, and darthritter86. **

**Disclaimer- I have a sign. It says, "Keroanne1 does not own Zelda or Waiting for the Storm."**

_Malina brushed the blood from her brow, eyes narrowing as she met her eyes with Vaati. "You will not win." She said it simply, but with great force anyhow._

_"And who, may I ask, is going to stop me? You are a failure. You did not finish your magic training or even realize that Tura was no longer on your side. If I die, he will kill you. It doesn't matter what happens, for I shall win." After saying this, Vaati smirked._

_"I will never let that happen, you filthy dog, you." She growled back._

_"And let's just see what you can do, then, brat!" He exclaimed and blue fire appeared within his hands. He forced it to Malina and-_

* * *

"Wake up, girl!" Riste growled, his violet eyes glowing. "We have some very important things to take care of, and I do not want you botching it all up! This is a very important moment in your life! So wake up!"

Malina sat up, shocked into awakening. She gasped quietly, her eyes wide and fearful. She placed a hand to her chest, as though making sure her heart was still beating. _It was just a dream. _Malina told herself. _Just a dream. _

"What was it about?" Riste asked, obviously listened to her thoughts. "You look rather frightened. Tell me as we go."

"I was battling Vaati." Malina answered softly was pulling her boots on. He did not answer at this, obviously understanding her fear of Vaati. She knew that, in a way, Riste felt as though all of this was his fault. If he had trained Vaati with a stronger hand, or perhaps taught him a different way, then this might not be happening.

As they left Malina's room, Ceris did not leave his post, oddly enough. She gave him an inquisitive glance, but he merely shrugged and gave a quick look to Riste. At that moment, she realized that she had no idea as to what they were doing.

"What are we doing?" She asked blankly, looking up at him with the same expression that her voice held.

"Just as I would expect," Riste snorted. "Always not understanding, that Princess Malina of Hyrule for you. If you must know, we have hit the half-way point in your training. With this, there is something special I must teach you, under the full moon. No one can be around or see this, and you must humbly swear to tell no one about what happens tonight, not even your precious little Ceris."

At this, Malina blushed a bit, but nodded anyway. "What is he going to do, then?"

"Why, protecting Lady Delila, of course." Riste said, faint mockery in his voice. Malina narrowed her eyes at this.

"What is he really doing?"

"He really is." Riste said. "One of the rules for this is to feel all sorts of feelings. Anything from fear to love. It was interesting how my Master did it. After all, my family was long since dead and no lady had caught my eye."

"What do you mean?" It hadn't really connceted for Malina that if Riste was a Master of magic, then he would most likely need to have a Master as well.

"That is a story for a rainy day, which, as you can obviously see, is not today. It might rain in a couple days, however. Come, there might be clouds, and that would cover the moon. That would entirely ruin it, by the way. Hurry, hurry."

Malina did as he asked, quickening her speed.

* * *

_What are you doing now, Vaati?_

"Playing with my toys."

_I'm not stupid. You're planning something. Come on, I can't tell anyone._

"Hm... I want to be there when he dies..."

_Quit that._

"It would be rather funny to watch that brat's face as she watches her beloved Master fall to the ground, a look of pure horror on his face as he slowly dies..."

_You have disturbing thoughts, you know?_

"What happened to the Power I used to know? He would have killed at any given moment, especially an enemy."

_Sorry, I've been thinking like those fools too much lately._

"Yes, you have."

_I'll stop now._

"You just want to know what I'm going to do, am I right?"

_Bingo._

"Fine. I suppose I might as well."

_... Well? Are you going to tell me or not?  
_

"Yes. I was just giggling over my plan. It should be fun."

_Just get on with it..._

"Of course. I'll take my shadows, of course, and make it look like I'm going after that brat. Her dear Master will want to protect her, but I've sent someone there in my stead."

_Who?_

"Ashrak."

_You mean that man from so long ago? Is that who you keep sending dreams to?_

"Of course. Who else would I send dreams to?"

_Perhaps the Princess._

"Oh, shut up."

_Anyway, what about the plan?_

"Yes, well, Ashrak will disguise himself as a shadow and come at Riste. After he uses a few, simple things, he will blend into the crowd for a while."

_I don't see where this is going._

"After that, he will get behind that fool and stab him in the back with the knife."

_Oh._

"Then we will draw back. That will bring even more fire for Malina's hatred toward me, and I can't have her knowing too much about magic, now can I?"

_No, I suppose not._

"Yes. Won't this just be so much fun?"

_Yes, but why can't we be there?_

"Because. I don't really feel like it."

_You don't want to see that look of pain on her face, do you?  
_

"Oh, go away!"

_What's the plan after that?_

"I'm not sure. I'd like to see what she does and then formulate a plan."

_All right. Do you think that Courage might reveal himself soon?_

"Huh. Even though you're Power, you're asking me a question like that."

_You blocked off all of my senses when you gained complete control of me. How am I supposed to know what's happening beyond this body?_

"I suppose this is a good point. For a little while, when I was attacking Kakariko, I could sense Courage."

_And!? What happened then?!_

"As quickly as the presense came, it disappeared."

_What?! How could you just let it go like that?!_

"I wasn't exactly trying to catch him. Besides, I think that Courage might show up again tonight."

_Why?_

"Because that fool that is that brat's boyfriend is contestant to be Courage."

_And...?_

"If he has any sense, he'll rush in to protect the lovely Princess from any harm that might come to her."

_Lovely?_

"Note the sarcasm in my voice."

_Oh._

* * *

"So, what do we do first?" Malina asked, swinging her arms idly as Riste put up the force field.

"Be quiet for a moment, will you!?" He growled. "This is rather hard, you know!"

After he said that, Malina stayed quiet, chosing to instead listen to the voices of the night. In particular, the crickets, who could not lie. They usually, in truth, were singing about things. It could be annoying sometimes.

"I'm just waiting for the storm,  
Seeing I don't fit the norm.

Right is left or left is wrong,  
Vision clearer, vision strong,  
Turn around and see the light,  
Clouds surrounding, forming night.

Light and darkness seem to merge,  
Like to, 'bout to, on the verge.  
But I cannot seem to move.  
Stars have stopped and won't resume."

They sang in one voice, and it surprised her that they were singing about a storm. Usually they just sang about what the day had been like, or cats, or even birds who feasted on them. Perhaps it meant something...? A sudden thought came to her, sudden and frightening:

_"Another storm is coming, but not one from the sky. A storm that comes from the ground and makes fire. A storm that will make you take the eternal sleep if you are not careful. The fire that will come from the storm can wipe us all out, even the one who makes the storm. I warn you of this now. Be careful."_

Redchest's voice echoed strangely in her mind, as though there was no end to it. Something was coming. Something frighteningly dangerous.

"Stop staring at nothing, girl, and sit down!" Riste exclaimed. She blinked and saw that he was sitting down. She could no longer hear the crickets, and it was silent. Although she could not see the force field, she knew it was there.

"So, what're we doing first?" Malina asked, knowing that no matter what she said, Riste would not believe her about her rising fear of this so called 'storm.'

"Shush." Riste answered, staring up at the moon. At this, Malina pouted. Why was it that he never gave her a straight answer? Couldn't he just answer her for once? She didn't know what was going, and she had a right to know.

Then, for some reason, his eyes widened as he stared at the sky. Riste stood up slowly and the sheild suddenly dropped. Malina stood up quickly, alarmed. What had he seen that had made him do such a thing? The look in his eyes was something of a pure horror that she could not place.

"Hi Miss Alice."

It was so simple, and it completely betrayed his face. He sounded as though he were greeting an old friend, and yet his face appeared to be facing death itself. It counfused Malina even more so, and she grabbed Riste's arm.

"Master?! Master, what's wrong?!" He did not answer. By doing so, more fear plunged into her soul. "Master, Master! Please answer me!" She begged. Still, no answer came.

That was when Malina felt it. The presence of many creatures coming this way, coming to attack them. The sky which had been so bright from the moon suddenly seemed dark. As she looked up to see what had happened, another feeling of despair and fear creeped over her body.

The moon was gone.

It was as though it had just disappeared. There were no stars, either. Blackness crept over the entire of the Zora's Domain, as though the world was finally ending. The only thing that Malina could do to keep from screaming was touch her bracelet and pray for the goddess's to spare her life.

* * *

"The pieces are in place." Vaati whispered. "Can you feel her scream, Queen of Areu? Do you feel the love of your life crying for her life, Courage? Do you feel death coming to you, Riste?"

* * *

Yuumei looked up, fear in her face. "What is it?" Sora asked.

"This isn't good." Was her only answer as she stood up.

* * *

_Hurry, to the front!_

Immediately, Ceris knew that Courage was within his mind. Somehow, he knew that there was no stopping whatever was about to unfold.

"Delila, follow me. Quickly!" Ceris demanded, grabbing her wrist and began pulling her out the door. Within his mind, Ceris wondered why Riste had assigned him to this annoying little brat. He should be protecting the Princess, not this girl.

When Delila finally stopped whining, they were half-way down the hall. Ceris glanced out the windows as they passed them. It was dark out there, too dark for anything to truly be fine. Especially because it had to be a full moon for whatever they were doing.

Malina. Her face flashed in his mind.

_Is she okay?! _He demanded Courage.

_If we get there in time she will be. But you have to hurry!_

_Okay!_

As they were nearly to the door, shadow creatures jumped out in front of them. Ceris was about to shove Delila behind him when he saw that the shadow creatures were behind them, too. There would be no point in doing that. Ceris drew his sword, giving a silent to prayer to the goddess's that nothing would happen to Malina while he defended this self-centered brat.

The shadow creatures all attacked at once, going after whoever happened to be closest. After a moment of Ceris slashing at them so that he wouldn't die, he realized that he had left Delila unprotected. He almost swore as he turned around, but cold fear ran through him as he looked at Delila.

These shadow creatures obviously did not attack as randomly as he thought, because, laying in her own blood with her eyes glazed over was Delila. It took less than a minute for him to understand the fact that she was not dead.

Not yet, anyway.

_Ceris, let me take over._

Not understanding, he closed his eyes for an instant. When Ceris opened them again, all of the shadow creatures were gone. It surprised him, but he was too busy with other things at the moment to really understand what was going on.

Ceris knelt down next to Delila, whose eyes were slightly open. "I bet... you didn't see that... coming..." She said it horesly and began to cough.

"Lady Delila-" He began, but she cut him off.

"Hi Miss Alice."

And then she went limp, dead.

**A/N- What do you think of that?! R&R, people! I don't like flamers, but you can say whether you like something or not! I'm willing to accept any suggestions that you have!**


	23. Black Gray White

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule and darthritter86.**

**Disclaimer- I have crossed out the song and pointed at the sign.**

The man sat in front of the girl, curiosity deep in his weathered face. He had been visiting her for the past year, and when her next birthday came, a new man would come. It was just the way that things worked for her. Everything had always been the same, and it always would be in her eyes.

The girl did not acknowledge the man, choosing to instead continue drawing. It was a picture of a girl whom she did not know. Many people would praise her work and wonder how the thirteen-year-old was able to draw such a thing. It was perfect in every aspect, from the toning to shapes. She did not smile at her work. To her, it was just another drawing that she had done. She would do plenty more in her life.

Finally, she looked up and nodded to the man. He nodded slowly back. She put her pencil down, on the top of the paper and folded her arms. The girl waiting for him to begin so she could get this over with. She would rather be listening to her music.

"Is everything still to your liking?" The man asked, placing his clipboard on the table. It was the same question she had been asked every day for the past thirteen years of her life. Nothing ever changed. She nodded, as she did every day. He nodded back, as he did every day.

"Is there anything that you would like to have?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Is your favorite color still red?"

Nod.

"Is your favorite band still ON/OFF?"

Nod.

"Is your favorite animal the bear?"

Nod.

"Are you wearing your favorite outfit?"

Shake.

"Are you feeling more tired lately?"

Shake.

"Do you want to go outside?"

Shake.

"Do you want a friend like in those shows that you watch?"

Shake.

"Do you wish that you had a regular life?"

Nod.

"Have you gotten sick?"

Shake.

"Do you want to play the piano some more?"

Nod.

"Do you want to fall in love?"

Shake.

"Do you want any more books?"

Shake.

"Do you want to meet someone famous?"

Shake.

"Do you want better food?"

Shake.

"Do you want worse food?"

Shake.

"Do you need more paper or pencils?"

Shake.

"Do you want more clothes?"

Shake.

"Is there anything that you haven't told me that you would like?"

Shake.

"All right, then." The man murmured. "I'll be off, Miss Alice." He stood up and left. She watched him, a slight frown on her face. She stood up, sighing. It was no different. That's what happened every day. Nothing ever changed.

Miss Alice walked over to the large mirror in her room that showed all of her body. Many people would have thought she was a spoiled little girl from her expensive dress, to her expressionless face. But that was not the case, not at all. She didn't want anything.

The girl had black curles of hair and black eyes that seemed to flash red sometimes. Her skin was pale from seeing the sun only once when she was taken to this... this place. Her face had a certain look about it that told you she had not smiled for quite a while, but frowns came quickly.

She wore a white dress that poofed out at the bottom, just above her knees. It had buttons that went down that front to her waist, but no farther. On top of that, she wore a sort of vest that covered most of the white dress. It was the color of red wine and had many pockets upon it. Her hair was up in two black ribbons and she wore long socks so that almost none of her legs showed. She wore expensive, black shoes as well. White gloves covered her hands, but almost no difference could be made between the two.

All in all, she was quite a pretty girl. However, that completely uncaring look upon her face made many care not to be around her. Not that Miss Alice had actually met too many people... they had tried to get her to be friends with some other children when she was younger. However, these children barely made it out with their lives. Never again had she been arranged to have a play-date.

She sighed and walked over to her television. She sat in front of it, but did not turn it on. Something was holding her back. So she instead closed her eyes. It was drawing her to it again. And she knew she couldn't keep away forever.

Miss Alice stood up and walked to her bed. She sat on it and reached under her pillow, pulling the ORB out. To most, it seemed to be a glass ball, nothing else. To her, though, there was a swirling blackness that none could comprehend. Whenever she touched it, faces appeared in her mind's eye. People whom she knew were dead.

With deliberate slowness, Miss Alice pulled off her glove while holding the ORB on her lap. The instant that the glove was off, she pressed her fingertips on top of the ORB, feeling its power radiate through her.

New faces appeared to her, as they did every day. The latest was a girl... a beautiful girl. The same girl that Miss Alice had been drawing before. _Delila..._ The girl's name floated through her mind. For some reason, she smiled. Doing this always made her smile.

"Miss Alice!" The voice made her jump and drop the ORB. It did not crack, but it did roll a ways away from her. Miss Alice stood up, her eyes flashing. Who had disrupted her? Who would do such a thing as that? She would... no. Calm.

It was a woman. She had never seen this woman before but did not like her from the moment that she saw her. The woman appeared to be about thirty and her long, black hair went down to her waist. It was, however, pulled up in a braid. Her eyes were much too narrow and she was surprised that this woman could even see.

"Come along. You have some tests to fill out." The woman said, her slits for eyes flashing. Miss Alice knew this would upset everyone, but she took the ORB anyway. The woman appeared to be new to her job, because everyone knew that you could not talk to Miss Alice that way. If you did, you usually were fired at best. At worst, you were put in prision for the rest of your pathetic life. That was partly why she loved it here. No one could be mean to her.

"Do you speak, girl?!" The woman demanded. Miss Alive blinked, startled. "I've been asking you questions for the past minute and you haven't even said a word to me! No one told me that you were a mute."

"I'm not a mute." She whispered, hugging the ORB closer to her. The woman ignored her and continued.

"I don't get what's with you kids these days! Honestly, you're all brats who sit in front of the freaking television all day. Why don't you brats do something useful with your lives, like study for tests or something? The world would be so much a better place if you kids were better. Da-"

"Don't swear." Miss Alice said forcefully, but her voice still sounded rather weak. The woman turned to her and slapped her.

"You don't backsass me, you idiot." She hissed. Miss Alice touched her cheek, staring blankly ahead. Then she began walking as though nothing had happened. However, in her mind, she was thinking about what had just happened, and was planning to do something about it. A slight smile reached her lips at this thought, but it was not one of humor, it was one of pure evil and hate, nothing else.

The porcelain-like girl lagged slightly behind and slowly pulled off one her gloves, her bangs covering her eyes. Her eyes, at this moment, flashed red. She touched the ORB lightly and her eyes turned that color of faded blood that they usually did when she was about to do something that was considered by most human beings to be wrong.

Not only did the power of the ORB give her insight as to who was dead, but it gave her unbelievable powers. Such as the power to kill someone by just wishing it to be so. Of course, there was a price to pay with this power. Every time she killed someone, she fainted herself and became more and more weak. It was another reason as to why she looked so fragile.

She looked up at the woman, whispering softly. "Would you like to go to sleep forever? Say good night."

The woman blinked in shock, her eyes suddenly glazing over. "Hi, Miss Alice..." She said softly as her last words. After saying those things, the woman fell down, blood dribbling slightly from her now pale lips. For a moment, she stood over the woman before she, too, fell.

* * *

"Is she waking up...?" The soft voice sounded loud in Miss Alice's ears. For a moment, she wondered what someone was doing in her room, but she very suddenly remembered what had happened. Someone must have found her and taken her to... well, where ever exactly it was that she was at.

"Miss Alice? Are you waking up?" Another voice that was meant to be soft but sounded extremely loud to her. She opened her eyes slowly and quickly closed them, cringing from the bright light. She was in the test room. Again. The last time that she had been here was nearly a year ago. They took tests on her every year, and she supposed that this happened to be the day that she was tested on again. The tests were anything from mental to physical to culture...

A hand touched her, gently shaking her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to wake up. It's urgent that you take these tests now. You're fourteen today, you know." Fourteen? That was today? How odd, she thought it was a month or more that it was her birthday. Then again, she had no real sense of time.

Miss Alice sat up, rubbing her eyes slightly. She looked up at the man who had awakened her. He was obviously Japanese and appeared to be middle-aged. She recognized him almost immediately as Koiwai Mitsume, the man who was in charge of her, in a sense. He was the one who had made her who she was today. It was he who had given her the ORB. It was he who had saved her life when she was but a babe.

Allow me to clarify. When Miss Alice was born, her mother died very quickly after. It was believed that she, too, would die. When all hope was lost for the child, Koiwai stepped in, saying he wanted to test something to see if it would work. Saying it would make an unstoppable weapon for Japan.

He extracted her soul and placed it within the ORB.

It have her the feel of something that was not quite alive, but not quite dead either. Her soul caused the ORB to gain powers beyond belief. When Koiwai tried this on other people, it did not work as he had hoped. So far, Miss Alice was the only one who had survived.

Not only had she been the only one who had survived, but it gave her powers as I mentioned before. Her skin became chalk pale, but it also became unbreakable, as though made from diamond. Her eyes seemed to be made from glass, which was one of the more disgusting things that she was able to do. Her hair was able to cut through steel as well. None of this compared to her ability to kill people with the ORB, though. Just by thinking it, they died. A power that no being should be able to have.

She was simply a weapon, nothing more. That's what everyone thought of her. They didn't think that she was an actual human being, they just thought of her as a thing. So, long ago, she had given up on any thoughts of anyone caring for her.

"Now, can you sit over there and do those tests, Miss Alice?" Koiwai asked kindly. She looked over at the tests and felt some pain in her chest. She was rather unsure as to whether or not she wanted to really do tests. Koiwai seemed to sense her reluctance.

"I'm sorry, but you have to. Afterward we get to do a really fun test with Mr. Derinn over there, yes? Don't worry about it, sweetheart." He seemed rather unconcerned about her feelings. But then again, who did care about Miss Alice? Her mother, surely. Her mother who had died so quickly. Without even a chance to do anything about it. For some odd reason, that seemed unfair to her.

She nodded slowly and walked to the small desk. The last time she had been there was her thirteenth birthday. The tests that were there included arithmatic, science, history, music, art, language... she had needed to take all of these tests. Every time she did, however, it felt as though something was hurting her deeply inside. It was so odd.

The questions, to her, were fairly easy. However, the questions seemed impossibly hard to anyone else her own age. In fact, they were probably difficult to anyone that didn't have a degree in the thing that she happened to be testing on.

"Amazing..." Murmured the man that Koiwai had called Mr. Derinn. "It's mental abilities are completely shocking. What use is Japan planning to put it to?"

"Nothing yet." Koiwai admitted. "We have tried to create more of her, but it never worked the same. She is the only person that we have been able to take out a piece of their soul and use it to heal them just as they were about to die. A powerful weapon as such is so useful that none of us really know what to do."

"You could sell it to America!" The other man exclaimed jokingly. Koiwai laughed as well. Miss Alice hated this man... Mr. Derinn. She was not an "it." She was a female. And what hurt worse was the fact that Koiwai wasn't doing anything about it. It was true then. Neither one of them cared about her. That hurt. Why did she have to be a weapon?

"Done..." She said softly and put her pencil down. It had barely been thirty minutes since she had begun. Even Koiwai seemed slightly surprised at this. Pleased, but surprised. She wished that she had marked an answer wrong on purpose suddenly.

Miss Alice shook her head quickly. What was wrong with her? She kept acting out... or thinking out, she supposed. It was rather unlike her. Usually, whenever something like this came up, she shut it down. Why was she thinking on her own now? Perhaps something was changing... something within her that she could not yet pinpoint, and yet knew about anyway. What was someone supposed to do about this? How could she get through with this and keep her loyalties right?

She shook her head again, the swirling thoughts just making her more confused. She wished that things could go back to the way that they used to be... where she was a simple servant to Koiwai. For some reason, nothing seemed simple anymore.

"All right, then..." Koiwai murmured while flipping through the test. "On to your physical test." Nothing. No good work. No you got one-hundred percent. Nothing.

She sighed inside her mind, wondering what was wrong with her. She usually did not think this much. She just did. She followed the men into the next room, and was not surprised. Nothing had changed in the physical. It was still gray, and the walls were still padded.

"What would you like to play?" Koiwai asked. He was not asking what she wanted to do for her test, but was instead asking what she would like to listen to as she took the test. The same song that she had been listening to this morning popped into her mind.

"Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima..." She whispered. There was multiple reasons as to why she had named this song her favorite. First of all, it said her name in it. Secondly, it seemed to fit her well. It felt as though it had been written for her. Which it might have being that Koiwai Mitsume had dipped his hands in many things for her, even when she did not want him to.

He nodded and the two men stepped into another room. The song began playing and slight chills went up her spine as she listened to the creepy sounds of the music.

As the testing continued in all sorts of subjects, any kind that you are able to think of, Miss Alice scored highly. She felt not proud, though. In fact, in some ways, she would rather have imperfect scores than to have perfect ones. Many kids would rather have the latter, though.

After about three hours or so of testing, they were finally done. Now the curiosity about what Mr. Derinn had up his sleeve would finally be reaveled. She would know why this man was so interested in her. It wasn't as if people from other countries hadn't come before, but this was different. Usually they just looked at her test scores, nodded, and then left. This man was different somehow.

The two men led her to a room that she had not yet been in. The room was fairly small with not much in it. What was in it was three simple chairs, a television, and a table of the same design of the chairs. Four men were in the room, all in long white coats.

One of them turned to Koiwai, a slight smile on his face. "Sir, it's all ready to go. Would you like to test it?"

"Of course." He answered, then turned to a confused Miss Alice. "This device will allow you to further your reach. You will not just have to be there to see the person and kill them. You can stay here and do whatever you'd like. Isn't that wonderful?"

She almost wanted to cringe in disgust, then remembered she had killed people as well. There was no point in fearing it or being disgusted with what these men planned to do with her. After all, she had wanted to do it sometimes as well. Even so, she couldn't help but wonder if this was truly a good path to be on.

Her hands felt rather slippery as she held the ORB. What would happen? Would something happen to her? Fear peirced her soul as a spear would peirce another person's body. Her hands shook slightly, but she was unsure as to why she was so scared.

It was probably because she didn't know what was going to happen. Fearing something she did not know about was natural.

She lightly touched the ORB to the television screen and her eyes widened suddenly. Pain, happiness, love, hate, fear, wonder, shock, innocence... all of these emotions flowed through her body at once. It felt as though she were going to heaven and not at the same time. As though her heart had stopped beating, but was working faster than ever. As though she had opened her eyes and seen for the first time even though she was blind. As though nothing mattered, yet everything mattered.

Time had stopped for Miss Alice and only one face stayed within her mind: the face of a girl perhaps a year or so younger than her with light brown hair, freckles, and violet eyes. The moment that she opened her eyes again, they were red.

"Bye bye, girl."

**A/N- What will happen to Malina? Do you care? If you do, R&R! No flames, please.**


	24. More Selfish, Less Happy

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, irishj, maximushyrule, and darthritter86! I'll explain why it took me forever to update at the bottom!  
**

**Disclaimer- I'm pointing to the sign again. Yeah.  
**

Malina bit her bottom lip, a bead of sweat dripping down her face. She couldn't hold this shield up too much longer. It was hard enough when it was just her, but with Riste here and being in some sort of trance... she was rather unsure of how long she could keep this up.

Another dozen or so of the shadow beings jumped at the shield and she winced. With every time that they did that, it became more and more difficult to keep it up. They seemed to also realize this and did it even more. Soon, she would become exhausted of all of her strength, and they would both die. It seemed unfair after everything, she would die here.

Riste was still unresponsive.

Finally, Malina broke out into a prayer, her voice layered with grief. "Please, O Goddesses!" She cried, tears in her eyes from the pain that it had caused. "If I am to die here, take my life quickly! Save someone, but quickly take this pain away! May I feel no more! This is all I beg!"

Quite suddenly, the film that had covered Riste's eyes up until that moment cleared. He blinked and looked around. His eyes fell on the girl who was beginning to bring down the shield due to exhaustion.

When Malina finally saw him, he was no longer Hylian, but a wolf. His favorite form. He stepped in front of her, growling. A warm feeling rushed through her and gratitude showed openly on her face. He was alive. He was here still.

Riste threw himself at the shadow creatures, ripping at their throats and anywhere he could get. He kept in front of Malina during this entire time, protecting her to the end. His eyes were slightly flaming, as though completely taken by anger at the beasts he was killing. It suddenly hit her.

Riste loved Malina.

He had never shown it, but had always loved her like a daughter. He was, however, her master not her friend. He could not show it. He had done it for the good of her training. However, she could clearly see that he cared for her more than he had ever shown.

Upon realizing this, her eyes filled up with tears. It was amazing how many people cared about her. They cared about her so much. It felt impossible. Why did people care about her so much? Malina wasn't that special.

Everything after that moment seemed to go in slow motion. From the rush of wind, to the glancing to see what was rushing past her, to the realization that it was a dagger, to the watching it go towards Riste, until it finally sunk in. For an instant after that, time stopped. He just stood there. Even the shadows stopped moving.

After that, things seemed to speed up quite a bit. Malina rushed to his side and Riste transformed back. Blood began staining his shirt. She could see that it had made it all of the way into his back, through his heart perhaps. And if not that, very near.

"P-Princess..." Riste whispered. "I... I'm sorry. I lied. I... I won't be able to tell you that story... ever... I'm going to see Miss Alice..."

"What?" Malina cried. "What do you mean? You-you can't leave me! Not yet! I-I haven't f-finished my training yet. You can't just leave me here, all alone... please, M-Master! Do-don't go! Don't leave me a...all alone! At the least tell me who Miss Alice is!"

His answer was simple. "Death." After saying that, his heart stopped.

* * *

Vaati knocked down the figurine of Riste. "Have fun playing with my little friend, old man."

* * *

Yuumei knelt down, looking sick. The images that were playing through Malina's mind were going through her own. It felt so wrong... Riste was dead. It was horrible. What... what could have happened to cause this? It had to be Vaati.

"My Queen? What's wrong?" Sora asked, kneeling down next to Yuumei who felt like she was going to violently sick.

"He's dead. Riste is dead." She choked out. "He's gone."

* * *

Ceris cut through another row of shadows, feeling more than just irritation by this point. What was with these creatures?! They just kept coming! He had to help out the Princess, not waste his time with these little freaks!

Soon after Lady Delila had said her last words, the ceiling had begun to collapse. That was her burial. However, Ceris could not grieve at this current moment. He was rather busy with other things, such as trying to find the Princess and save her if she needed it.

_She ought to be in the training ground, Ceris._

_Okay._

Ceris had taken to listening to voice within his mind, because it also seemed to have Malina's best interests at heart. Well, more of Wisdom's, but it also cared about Malina because they seemed to be about the same person.

He finally managed to get out of the building. The moment he was out, he took a good look around. Despair filled him. There were still hundred, if not thousands, of the shadow creatures to defeat if he wanted to get to Malina. There was no other way.

_Can you help me out here? I want to get there as quickly as possible._

_All right._

Courage quickly pushed Ceris to the back of his mind, taking over his body. He let Ceris be able to see, but it was still rather strange that he could see and not do anything about anything. He wondered if this was how Courage always felt.

However, even though he was able to see everything that was happening, he chose not to. Ceris was thinking about the Princess instead. He hoped that she was all right. He would not only be a failure as a guardian if she died, but a failure at a friend. A failure at... loving, he supposed.

The thought made him turn slightly red. It was true, though, wasn't it? He did like the Princess quite a bit.

_I'll let you do the rest, Ceris._

He blinked and realized he had control of his body again. There weren't any more shadow creatures, as far as he could tell, up until he got to the Princess. Then there were quite a bit, much to his dismay.

_How exactly do you do that, Courage?_

_I'll tell you later; hurry, we need to save Wisdom and the Princess!_

Ceris sighed and rushed over to the shadows, throwing aside any that got in his way with his sword quickly. Finally, after a while of battering through the shadow creatures, he saw the Princess, who was leaning over a body.

He froze as he realized that it was Riste. Riste was dead.

* * *

Malina softly cried into Riste's cold body, wondering when she would meet this 'Miss Alice' person as well. It could only be soon. There were shadow creatures all around her and that... that monster that killed Riste. However, she could not move from where she knelt.

"Princess!" A voice exclaimed. She blinked and looked up. Ceris. He was here. He was okay.

"Princess, are you all right?!" He asked, kneeling next to her. For some reason that hurt. He cared more about her right now than he cared about Riste's death. Some people would think that was sweet, but right now it didn't seem so.

"Riste is dead." She whispered, her voice cracking.

"We have no time to grieve." He softly whispered. "We must leave now lest we die."

"Then let me die." She whispered, now fiercely.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I cannot allow that." Ceris said firmly. "I don't believe that Wisdom would appriciate it if you just threw away her life and let Vaati win."

_Aye, that be true._

"And neither would Courage."

_Aye, th- wait, what?! Did he just say Courage?!_

"What do you mean?" The words came from Malina's lips, but they were Wisdom's words.

"Courage really wants us to go; I'll explain later." He said, grabbing her wrist. Malina blinked as he pulled her up. She bent over for a moment and pulled out the ribbon that had kept Riste's hair in check. The black ribbon... the pink ribbon.

"Goodbye, Riste." She whispered as Ceris pulled her through the shadows to somewhere else. Somewhere different.

Pain was all she felt.

* * *

Miss Alice put the pencil down, her eyes flashing. "No. I shall not."

Koiwai blinked in surprise. "And why not? It's your purpose and I shall not have you befouling it."

"No matter what the government wants me to do," She whispered. "I shall not do it. It can only mean pain and suffering for them. I am, however, busy with other things. I am writing a tale that is happening as we speak."

"I don't understand, girl." He growled. "I gave you life, I gave you a home, I have given you anything that you wanted! And yet, you still wish more from me! I have a feeling that whatever you want, I cannot give. Tell me what it is that makes you so ungrateful, brat!"

"I am not ungrateful." She whispered.

"Then what is it?!" He demanded. "Tell me, you!"

"You have not given me love." He stared at her for a moment before bursting out in laughter, but not the relieved kind. The cruel kind.

"Love?! How can a beast as you feel love? You are merely an instrument that I use to take what I want. You are not human, you are a beast. An animal that I control, like a dog. Now you will do what I say or you will feel more pain than you can imagine!"

At this, anger ripped at her. No one threatened her. No one insulted her. She would not stand for it. She would take his life.

"I hate you." She said flatly and took his life. He stared at her, shock clear in his eyes as he realized what was about to happen. As he realized he was to die. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed upon the floor.

At the age of barely fourteen, Miss Alice had killed her creator and not cared.

She smirked at this small thought. Nothing like killing to make her feel better. She would use her powers for a greater good, not a greater worse. She would use the powers of the ORB to make sure that no one was ever rude to her again. She would cleanse this dirty planet from all its wickedness.

Miss Alice would make sure that death would come unto those who truly deserved it.

However, for now, she needed to finish the picture that she had been drawing before. Then she would leave this place, forever. Never to return, much to her relief. Miss Alice needed to leave this place, wherever it may have been.

She glanced down at the picture, a slight frown pinching her forehead.

The picture was of those two people, the man and women who would not leave her mind. The ones that were in this story. Riste and... Delila? Was that it? Either way, she had taken their lives in her dreams. She could still picture it. That dream...

In it, Miss Alice was watching their deaths. Whenever they died, she touched them with the ORB and they whispered her name with their dying breath... she had had that dream again and again ever since her fourteenth birthday a few weeks ago... or was it days? She wasn't sure of anything any more.

Who was next? Whose life would she take next?

She glanced at the story she had been writing. In it, there was a girl. Someone who was younger than her. For some reason, there was an odd feeling of anger whenever she thought of this girl, just like the irrational anger that she felt whenever she thought of the two that she had killed.

Sora. Was your life the next one she was to take?

She smiled. No matter. She was on the sidelines. She would soon know what the truth was.

Miss Alice picked up the ORB, her paper, her pencils, and a coat. She then walked out the door, leaving behind the life that she had once known to find another one somewhere. One where she could cleanse the earth and know anything she needed. One where she was loved. One where she could watch the story unfold. One where she would truly be the winner of this strange game. The game would surely be won by none but her. In fact, she would not allow anyone but her to win. It had to be her.

There were two in her way that she knew of. Not to mention Ceris, who was just beginning. He would be a struggle as well.

"Malina, Vaati." Miss Alice's eyes flashed. "Be prepared for me."

* * *

Ceris watched Malina in silence. She was watching the fire with no apparent expression on her face. Her violet eyes glimmered in the firelight, flashing.

"Hey," Ceris said, "What's wrong?"

"How can you even ask that?" Malina answered bitterly. Ceris winced. True, this was a stupid question.

Was it really a day since they had run away from the Zora's Domain? It felt so much longer. Everything had happened so fast. They had exchanged stories and Malina had poured her heart out about how much she truly cared about Riste and that he had cared about her.

Not anymore, though.

"I'm sorry-" He began, but she cut him off, her eyes flashing from more anger than anything.

"Shut up. I don't care. Just leave me alone, you freaking jerk, you!" She almost screamed the last part, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. Ceris winced again.

"You have no idea, do you!? You don't know what true pain is, do you?! I'm not sure if I have any of my friends alive anymore, not to mention the fact that the only man that I felt could even close to being my father _**died**_! He's **_dead_**, Ceris! Do you know what that feels like?!"

"Mal-" Ceris tried again, but she interrupted again.

"No, you! You don't understand at all! Why don't you just leave me alone?! The only kindness that you could ever possibly do for me right now is to kill me! Take it all away, take it all away right freaking now! Kill me, Ceris! Kill me, kill me, kill me!" She pleaded, eyes huge and crazed.

_Crap! You better stop her, Ceris!_

_I know, I-_

_Actually, I know what to do! Once everything's under way, you can take over!_

_Wait, what're-_

_Too late._

The next thing Ceris knew besides the annoyance of being alone in the back of his own mind was that Malina was in his arms. He was hugging her. Freak. This was Courage's idea?! Was he crazy?! This could never ever wo-

Slowly, Malina hugged him back. Not only did that shock Ceris, but it gave him a slight pleasure as well. She might like him back.

_Love_, Courage corrected.

_Whatever..._

"Don't ever say that again." Ceris whispered. "I could never do that. That wouldn't be kind at all, neither to me nor you."

"I'm... sorry," Malina whispered. "I don't know what I was thinking..."

"No, I don't understand, you're right. I haven't lost both of my parents, lots of my friends, and had make the change from palace life to living on the road. This is always how my life has been. But... I know one thing. I would completely understand every bit of pain that you've ever had if you died."

She gave him a little squeeze before letting go. Ceris did the same, flushing slightly.

_Aw... tender moments..._

_Oh, shut up, Courage._

_You should've had Malina bring Wisdom out so we could spend the night together._

_Whoa, our bodies are only thirteen and fifteen._

_So?_

_Freak._

_Rude._

"Um, Ceris?" Malina said, waving a hand in front of his face. Ceris felt his face turn bright red.

"Uh, sorry. Courage is being... uh... sick." She got closer to his face, a slight crease in her forehead. His face turned red some more.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Um... hard to explain?" He hoped she would buy that. Malina sighed.

"Fine, fine. Let's just... go to sleep. Then we can find Yuumei and the others in the morning."

Ceris nodded, relieved. She wasn't going to ask any more questions! Thank goodness! He thought that his face would turn into a tomato before the questioning ended.

He walked off to bed, sighing. Tomorrow would be another long day.

* * *

Sora felt Yuumei give a few more shuddering breaths. That was good. Yuumei was finally calming down. She had been frighteningly depressed for the past couple of days. Or day. It was hard to tell for Sora still. She was unused to being in the Realm of Light.

"Do you want me to sing you a song?" Sora asked softly. Yuumei nodded briefly.

"Collapsing on top of the cold grass  
I want to hide my burning body"

"These mid-winter constellations are my lovers  
I have been waiting all this time"

"My mood today is the highest  
Like the sky that has no despair nor hope  
I want to be translucent"

"If we do not meet, we won't fight  
With no chance for disillusionment"

"The wind that is like a knife  
Helping to increase my speed  
Take 5"

"What version of myself makes me happy?  
Like the sky that has no success nor failure  
I want to be translucent"

"Take off my coat and step inside  
With no beginning and no end  
I want to live this day we call today honestly"

Yuumei whispered, "I haven't... haven't heard that song..."

"I wrote it a couple days ago." Sora answered. "It's called Take 5. Any good?"

In an answer, she gave a hoarse laugh. "If it's not good, then I don't know what is. One of my favorites so far. What's the theme of this one?"

Sora hesitated. "Death. I wrote it for you."

Yuumei broke down crying. "Oh, Sora... oh, Sora... how can one be so innocent?"

"I... I don't know." She answered honestly. "I'm sorry, Yuumei. I just don't really know."

**A/N- Okay, I'm sorry! About midway during the part about Miss Alice, I got so lost. I needed time to figure everything out. And now I finally have. So... R&R! I also encourage you to look it up on Youtube! Take 5 by Utada Hikaru! May also be Teiku 5.  
**


	25. Everywhere

**A/N- Thanks for da reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule and maximushyrule!**

**Disclaimer- Nope. Misa dun own.**

"Oh my gosh!" Malina groaned, stretching. "We're finally out of the woods! Thank gosh!"

"Seriously..." Ceris murmured, shielding his eyes. "I thought that I was gonna die because I saw too many trees."

"Yeah..." Malina murmured, trailing off. She glanced around Hyrule Field. It was covered in snow, and her thin clothes didn't do much to protect her from the cold. Even though she looked bright and cheery on the outside, within she was an emotional wreck. Malina was trying her best not to think about it, but it was rather hard.

Riste... was gone. It was so hard to believe.

As usual, after she began thinking about Riste, she wondered how she was to defeat Vaati now. There was no way that she would be able to do it. After all, Vaati had infinite power to use, and Malina only had wisdom. Some think this might be helpful, but it really wasn't when push came to shove. She would have much rather have had Courage or Power than Wisdom.

A streak of guilt streamed through Malina. Then again... it was better to have Wisdom than to not. For the past week that they had been in the woods, Malina had noticed the fact that Wisdom no longer spoke to her. Whether it be some matter of the heart or some other reason, she knew not. All that she knew is that Wisdom was no longer there, and had somehow disappeared in one of her greatest times of need. The only time, perhaps, that she needed Wisdom more was in her battle against Vaati. Other than that, she could not think of anything else.

Malina began absently playing with her hair. It was a habit that she had managed to form in the past week. She tightened both of her ribbons: one pink for her mother and one black for her master. It felt so odd wearing the thing that an alive man had worn two weeks ago who was now dead. It hurt. The two braids that she wore she took out, then put back in. That was another odd habit she had managed to form. Redoing her hair.

So many things had happened. Another thing that Malina had learned was that her crush, Ceris, was actually Courage. That had been a surprise for sure. But not a great one. It rather made sense if you thought about it for a moment. After all, he was kind, smart, strong, and even handsome. It made sense as to why Courage would chose him.

Malina gave out a little sigh. There were so many things that were weighing her down, as though someone had put a dozen heavy weights upon her shoulders. What could be done about it? She would surely collapse soon if she didn't get some of them taken off. And yet... there was nothing else that she could do about it. They were merely there, merely a part of her, as was her brown hair, her freckles, and her violet eyes. It was as simple as that.

"What are you thinking about?" Ceris asked, a slightly curious expression on his face. She didn't answer, but merely stared at him. How could he be so lighthearted? Was there something that he had that she did not that made all of the difference?

"Malina?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her face and making her blink. "Are you awake? You've been totally out of it. Wanna sit down?"

Malina nodded gratefully. No matter what the cause of his cheerfulness was, it could be rather helpful at sometimes when she had none of that cheer. Especially since she needed it terribly in these difficult times. It was almost as wonderful as hope was, which was close to leaving her as well.

"What's wrong, Malina?" Ceris asked, curiosity thick in his voice. "You keep staring out into space? What are you thinking about?"

"Um... a lot of stuff..." She mumbled, looking down and playing with her hair again. "It's just that... I don't really get how you can be so happy with all of these misfortunes happening to us... I mean, anything from the deaths of our friends to lack of food and water is happening to us, and yet you remain ever cheerful. How can that be?"

Ceris blinked. He had obviously not expected that. He looked upwards to the sky, thinking hard. Finally, he answered.

"I don't really know. I suppose that it's the fact that we have each other... plus... I didn't know Delila that well. Not to mention Riste. He was okay and all, but I never saw him as a friend. I just don't think that this is the time to be sad. Maybe later, but not now."

"What do you mean?" Malina asked, resting her chin in her palms.

"Well... we've come so far. It seems a shame that we would allow grief and being hungry to get in our way of defeating Vaati. I'm not really sure either, I just know that something is telling me that we can't give up hope. We have to keep pushing forward. If we don't, I think that something bad might happen, and not just to us." He gave a little frown. "Trust me, it might just be my insanity talking, but I totally believe in the fact that if we work hard enough, then Vaati is sure to be defeated."

"... You talk a lot." Was all that she said after that. Ceris stuck out his tongue, slightly teasing.

"How rude." He stood up, stretching. "Okay, let's get going. We gotta get going so that we can Kakariko as soon as possible."

Malina nodded, sighing slightly. "All right, I guess... I'm just so tired..."

"I'm starting to wish that we had horses, too," Ceris admitted, shrugging, "But I suppose that there's nothing that we can really do about that right now. After all, it's a little bit hard to have a horse when the city that you just came from is probably in ruins right now."

Malina winced. She didn't really want to think about that. They had been unable to save many of the Zora people, much to her dismay. Ceris had calculated it while she had been trying to get to sleep, and guessed that just over half of them had died at the very least. At the very most, eighty percent of them had died. The thought that she had ran away from that danger was hurtful. While she could be fighting, she had been whimpering behind her hands, hoping that no one would come after her and try to kill her. It brought chills up and down her back, and she tried to fight screaming out whenever she thought of the intense hurt that the Zora people would be suffering at that moment.

Ceris seemed to notice the pain he had inflicted on her and gave a little sheepish smile. "Oh, um, sorry. I forget sometimes. I'm still not very good at keeping my big fat mouth shut."

She nodded, unable to say anything. She probably would mess up whatever she was going to say in front of him anyways. Even though they had been traveling with each other for quite a while, she still got slightly nervous and a little tongue-tied around him sometimes. After all, she did like him quite a bit...

_That's what you think._

Shock came over Malina and she stopped walking. Ceris glanced at her and also stopped, slightly confused.

_Wisdom?!_

_Why, yes, that happens to be my name. What is it?_

_You're here!_

_Yes, I am. What did I miss while I was gone?_

_A lot of things!_

"Malina?" Ceris asked. "Do you need to sit down again?"

"Huh?" She answered blankly.

"I asked you if you need to sit down," he repeated, folding his arms.

She shook her head quickly and whispered, "Wisdom finally came back."

At this, his eyes widened. Of course she had told Ceris that Wisdom had gone missing, so this was a great relief to the both of them. Wisdom began to speak again, so Malina listened quietly, awaiting an explanation as to where she went.

_While you and Ceris were alone, heaven knows doing what, I-_

_Ceris and I didn't do a thing!_

_Yeah, sure. Like I was saying, I was taking a look around at other eligible girls to be me._

_What?!_

Shock filled Malina's face that Wisdom would even think a thing. Guilt filled her up. Perhaps... perhaps she wasn't that great of a girl... perhaps Wisdom had made a mistake when she had chosen her. That seemed so possible that she wanted to vomit.

_I could **never **believe that!_

A new voice. How curious. And whoever it was, they sounded older than her, although not by much.

_Who are you? _Malina asked.

_I'm Courage. And I'd like to tell you, Malina, that that could never be true. You're just hitting a few bumps right now. Things will smooth out._

_C-Courage! _Wisdom finally exclaimed, although her voice sounded slightly embarrassed.

_Wisdom, I would ask that we speak later. You must remember that the Princess is still a child._

Malina's face flamed at this. If she allowed Wisdom to take over her body and Courage to take over Ceris's, then she could only guess what they would do. And no, it would probably not be a heart-warming talk about how much they had missed each other and that they were glad to see each other again.

_Right. _Courage stated. _Now, Wisdom, please continue, if you will. I'd like to hear this as well.  
_

_Ah, yes... well, as I was saying, I was looking for other girls. Nothing against you personally, Mally, but I didn't expect that you would be strong enough to handle it. All of the death and hurt... when you fell apart at the battle, I thought you would remain that way. I looked for others, but couldn't find anyone else who might be able to hold my power. I came back to you and saw that you were stronger and that Courage was still with Sword-Boy, so I decided to keep with you and see what happens._

_And you left me alone during that time?!_

_Yes, well... you had Sword-Boy with you... and... er... that wasn't really a good idea on my part, was it?_

_Heck no!_

"Malina, what's going on in your head?!" Ceris demanded, taking hold of her shoulders and shaking her. Malina blinked.

"Huh?"

"Oh, uh, sorry." He mumbled, taking a step back. "It was just that... you... and... that is... I was trying to talk to you and you weren't answering... so I tried to shake you awake and the instant that I did, you woke up... s-sorry... I just wanted to know what was happening."

She gave a little smile. "Don't worry about it. You just surprised me, that's all."

His face turned slightly red. "Uh... yeah, so, what's been going on? Wisdom is back, yes?"

"Yes, she is." Malina said softly, sitting down on the cold grass and snow. "She was out looking for a replacement."

"What!?" Ceris exclaimed.

She nodded. "She thought that I would be too emotionally shattered to continue on with our journey. But I don't think that she understands that I've already had to deal with death. My mom, my dad, my step-dad, maybe Mistress Impa, and my horse, Lait..."

"Light?" Ceris blinked in confusion. "Who's that?"

"La-eet." Malina corrected. "He was my horse. However, he died just a week or so before I met you."

"Oh..." Was all Ceris mumbled, sitting down next to her. She glanced at him, her brow furrowed together. He was so confusing.

* * *

Sora sighed and rubbed her eyes. She wanted to go to sleep. It was so tiring just doing this. Just being with her friends and family. Family. That was a word that didn't often come into her mind. In fact, she usually only used it when wondering what her life would be like if she had one.

She glanced over to Daysin. She wondered what color of eyes was his true. She wondered if they liked any of the same things. She wondered if he was a nice person. She wondered if he liked traveling. But, most of all, she wondered if he liked her or cared about her in any way whatsoever. She hoped so.

"Where to go, Yuumei?" Marit asked, pulling his horse next to theirs. Sora and Yuumei shared a horse due to the fact that they happened to be short on money to buy another. Besides, Sora didn't even know how to ride a horse. She would have preferred this anyway.

"We're close..." Yuumei answered, glancing around nervously. She had not been the same since the death of Riste. While Malina had managed to hide her feelings, Yuumei was not able to do that. She was fearful all of the time now with her hand constantly on her saber, as though she thought that someone was going to attack them out of the blue.

"How close?" Marit asked. They were looking for Malina and Ceris. By now, everyone knew that Yuumei was the shadow of Malina. Sora had to explain it for her due to the fact that Yuumei was overly caught up in her emotions at the time.

Yuumei had the odd ability to sense when Malina was near. Any time that Malina wasn't around and she was in the Realm of Light, she said that it felt as though a piece of her were missing. Sora had almost wished that she could feel this as well, because she had the inability to do so. Truly, she and Daysin were the only people who could ever be completely alone. Sora didn't want to be alone completely, but she could very easily. All she had to do was find somewhere where no one else was.

"Two, maybe three miles away." Yuumei murmured, softly shrugging her delicate shoulders. Her face showed nothing, but Sora knew her oh so much better than that. Yuumei was hurting deeply inside. She had never really known true loneliness.

Marit nodded. "All right. The horses need a bit of a rest. Do you mind if we take a little rest break?"

Yuumei quickly shook her head and stopped her horse. The others in the group did so as well. Even though Yuumei said that she didn't mind that they stopped, Sora could tell that she just wanted to hurry up and find Malina. It hurt slightly that Yuumei cared about someone more than she cared about Sora. And technically, the person that she cared about more was herself. Oof. That hurt, too.

"Hey, Sora?" Shina said, sitting next to the younger girl. "Why have you been so quiet? It's kind of out of your nature."

Sora gave a quick, little smile. "Oh, nothing much. It's just this insanity people have misnamed my life." Shina laughed. The instant that the two of them had meet, it was instant friendship. Marit had joked that they must have been sisters separated at birth or something.

However, Sora knew that was impossible.

"What's up?" Daysin asked, sitting next to them. Sora gave a knowing smile as she saw Shina's face turn slightly pinker. It was obvious to everyone but Daysin that Shina had fallen for him. Besides that fact, she was still rather violent towards him.

"Not much," Sora answered for Shina.

"I wouldn't expect it to be so," he drawled. "After all, we kind of live in the same camp..."

Sora gave a little giggle. "Yes, I suppose that would make it rather hard for you not to know about our affairs."

"Pretty much the only thing that-" Daysin began, but a voice erupted out of the nothingness.

**"Daysin!" **Although Sora had never heard this voice before, it struck fear into her heart instantly. Whoever it was, she shouldn't like to meet them. Daysin also seemed slightly affected by this, a frown immediately creasing his forehead.

However, when he spoke, he did so calmly. "Vaati."

Even more fear pierced Sora. Vaati?! Wasn't he the guy that they were all going up against to defeat?! Omigosh, this wasn't good! And how in the world was he talking to them when they were in Hyrule Field and he was in Hyrule Castle?? Those were but the first few thoughts that zoomed though Sora's mind.

**"Why have you joined these fools, my loyal servant?!" **Vaati's voice boomed and Sora grabbed Shina's hand quickly, squeezing it.

"For the heck of it and I wanted a taste of their team," He answered simply. Marit spoke next.

"Vaati, I know that you have known for quite a while about where we are and whom we are with," Marit murmured, his eyes glaring and the words coming out like someone slicing a blade into another person. However, Vaati seemed entirely unaffected by this.

**"I do not care for such things as excuses! Daysin, if you do not come to my side soon, I will realize I have no use for you and despose of you! You are, after all, not Courage. I have no point in letting you live besides the fact that we share the same blood in our veins."**

Sora felt another chill go up her spine, but no longer at Vaati's voice. It was at the mere thought that they were related. If his blood flowed in Daysin's veins, then it must flow within Sora's because they were brother and sister. What could this mean for her?

"Vaati." Daysin said it simply. "I vow that I shall join you by the end of this month. I will leave this group and be with you."

Sora's eyes widened. No! He couldn't leave her! He couldn't just decide one moment that he was good and the next that he was evil! That's just not right! He would have to stay with her after she told him that they were brother and sister. After all, he would care about family... right?

Then again, that was probably was why he was leaving them.

**"I accept your offer." **Vaati said after a moment. **"However, I would also ask that you bring the dark-haired child with you."**

"No!" Sora exclaimed, fear open in her voice. For an instant, she heard Vaati chuckling, but it was gone all too soon.

**"Dear cousin... I find this humorous. You came here to seek family, and yet you do not wish to be with me, your family. How childish."**

"What are you talking about?" Daysin asked in confusion.

**"I was not speaking to you!" **Vaati spat. **"Fool! Do you not recognise your father's eyes when you see them?! That girl is your sister!"**

Sora shrunk back, whimpering slightly. She didn't want to meet Vaati. She wanted to go home. She wanted to forget all about this stuff. She wanted to curl up on Yuumei's lap and fall asleep like she did when she was young. Gosh, but that was sort of impossible now, wasn't it?

**"If you do not do as I ask of you," **Vaati continued, **"Then I can promise you that my dear friend Miss Alice will find you and kill you. Think about this. Take your time. I don't really mind. After all, you have a month. And if the child does not come with you, Daysin, you can count on her being dead by the morning after."**

Daysin nodded, an odd look in his eyes.

**"Good. Now all I have to say to you is farewell."**

Vaati's voice echoed away, leaving them all staring at Sora and Daysin. Had that truly just happened? Who was Miss Alice?

What in the world was going on around here?!

* * *

Miss Alice sat down, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Her flight was scheduled to leave in two hours. She could wait. After all, she needed to catch up on her writing.

She blinked as she heard it. That thought... yes, she could hear thoughts. Ever since she had left the place that she had once lived, more and more powers had been popping up. Currently, she had three.

The first one she had gained was the ability to read thoughts. Mostly she didn't listen. Occassionally, someone thought about something important. And when they did, it usually wasn't good. So Miss Alice had used the ORB to stop them from doing that action, whatever it happened to be.

The second one was the ability to freeze things. It was odd. She had been staring at the cup of tea she had bought, and it just froze. Not very helpful considering the fact that it was freezing outside and she had been trying to warm herself up.

And lastly... she could change her teeth. Not very much, though. Most would find this to be an odd power. After all, it was just changing your teeth. But no. It was helpful. After all, fangs could be helpful when trying to scare someone. Not too mention with her bleach-white skin and sometimes red eyes, she looked just like a vampire.

She pushed these thoughts out of her mind and put her mind on the thought that had been so interesting.

_Is that her? _

_Is she the one?_

_Should I kill her?_

_Do I bring her back?_

_This will work._

_She has a Soul-Orb._

_She could kill me._

_How did the people of Earth get a Soul-Orb?_

_She's rather pretty, but so young._

_No younger than Malina._

_Hello, Miss Alice._

_My name is Vaati._

Shock filled the girl at the last two lines. How did he know she was reading his mind? And how did he know about the ORB and Malina from the world of her dreams? Vaati... the name was... of the villain, right?

The violet-haired man sat next to her. He didn't speak with his mouth, but his mind, yes.

_Miss Alice? _

_Yes...? _She answered slowly.

_Can I ask you something?_

_If you should like._

_Will you help me kill my enemies?_

_Only if you'll help me kill mine._

_I'd be pleased to._

**A/N- Okay, R&R, no flames! You should all be so happy that I updated!**


	26. Reunion

**A/N- Thanks for da reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, darthritter86, Catorrina, and maximushyrule!**

**Disclaimer- Nope. Misa dun own.**

Malina hugged Yuumei as tightly as she thought was possible. "Yuumei, Yuumei! We found you guys! Oh my gosh!"

Yuumei gently hugged the younger girl back. "Princess..."

Malina took a step back, slightly embarrassed by her sudden reaction to seeing Yuumei. She then gave a little smile. Yuumei was here! All of her friends were here!

Her smile vanished. All but a few. Delila. Riste. It seemed like their group was broken without them.

That was when Malina noticed the two new people. She gave the smaller a quick smile, but when she saw the elder, her smile vanished. Her lips tightened, and her eyes narrowed.

Daysin gave a little, sheepish smile. "Princess, I-"

"What's _he _doing here?" Malina asked blunty.

"You two know each other?" Marit asked curiously.

Malina laughed. "Know each other? This jerk was my first love."

Daysin winced. "Please, Princess, let me-"

"Let you explain?!" She snorted. "And why in the world should I, you idiot?"

"Please, Princess-" Daysin begged.

"Oh, shut up." She answered.

"Daysin..." The younger girl said softly. "Daysin, is this the girl you kept talking to me about?"

Daysin nodded slowly. "Yes, Sora."

Malina smiled down at the younger girl. "And what's your name, honey?"

"I'm Sora." She said, clutching Daysin's arm tightly. "You're the Princess, right?"

"Yup."

"I'm Yuumei's friend." Sora said, a little pout on her face. "So you're the real her, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Malina asked blankly.

"All right, enough of this confusion and all that blah!" Shina exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I'm hungry! It's been a long day for all of us! We can explain all of this stuff around the camp-fire while we eat some yummy food, cooked by Sparrow!"

"Mm..." Ceris licked his lips. "I missed his cooking."

Sparrow blushed and whispered, "Thanks... Ceris..."

"You're welcome!"

"It's been much too long since we were all together..." Marit murmured. "I'm glad that the Knights of Night are finally all together."

Yuumei nodded, sighing. "I missed Malina quite a bit."

Malina blushed. "I-I guess that I missed you, too, Yuumei."

"So," Marit said, sitting upon a log. "Let's get all of this stuff figured out. What's happened with you two, Malina and Ceris?"

* * *

Miss Alice frowned and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Vaati smirked lightly. It seemed that these days, they were picking out the strongest and the youngest.

"And who's that?" Vaati murmured into the young girl's ear.

"Riste." She answered softly. "This is all that remains of him."

The drawing was exquisite with almost perfect shading. It showed Riste... or what was left of him. Birds had picked most of him away.

"Who's next to die?" Vaati asked softly. He said it as though he were asking to kiss her.

"Sora..." Miss Alice whispered. "She is the one."

"Is she very powerful?" Vaati whispered.

"Yes. Very. More so than you, me, Malina, and Ceris all together."

Vaati's eyes widened. "Really?"

She nodded. "And she's more powerful than the powers you three hold within."

Vaati lightly touched the ORB, or, as he called it, the Soul Orb. "Even more powerful than this?"

She nodded again. "Yes."

"But anything that powerful has to be some sort of god!" He blustered.

"No... she's not. I'm not sure what she is, really."

"How is this possible...?" Vaati whispered, looking upwards.

Miss Alice closed her eyes. "I'm not sure. But... she's going to die in two and a half months."

"She's so young..." Vaati whispered, a little bit of guilt obviously showing.

"That may be true," she whispered, "But she'll kill you if you don't kill her first."

"But that would throw off the balance of everything!" Vaati exclaimed. "It could kill everyone in the whole world!"

Miss Alice nodded. "I know. That's why you need to get rid of her."

"Remind me... what does she look like?"

Miss Alice silently began drawing the girl. Vaati's cousin. She had an impossible amount of strength within her. She wasn't sure how, but that girl did have an amazing amount of power.

"This is her..." The fourteen-year-old whispered.

The drawing was of Sora, obviously. The girl's hair was short and black. A smile was upon her face, and a mischievous look could be seen in her eyes. Vaati leaned over to see, and then a tight smile was drawn on his face.

"She seems so innocent."

Miss Alice nodded. "Yes. But... she'd not."

Vaati nodded, then yawned and stretched. "Enough about my enemies. What about yours?"

"First of all, a man named George Bush." Miss Alice murmured. "He used to be the president of America... but that was nearly three months ago."

"And what makes you dislike this man so much?" Vaati asked.

"He's cruel..." She whispered. "I want him to die."

"Is there anyone else out there?"

"Any religious leaders." Miss Alice said quietly.

"And why is that?"

"Religion makes people do mean things. They kill each other over it. It's stupid."

Vaati nodded. "And...?"

Her eyes flashed red. "The people who imprisoned me for the first fourteen years of my life."

"Then let's get to it."

* * *

_Monday, December 29th, 2008_

_New York Times_

_Yesterday, George Bush was assassinated by a small girl. Security cameras caught her, but for some odd reason, no one was able to get into his room. His death was caused by severe burns and blood loss. How the burns were caused, no one is sure. It was not caught on camera._

* * *

_Tuesday, December 30th, 2008_

_New York Times_

_At exactly eleven p.m., all of the great religious leaders in the world all died of a heart attack. Later, a video was sent to the Minister of England, in which the face a girl was in. She spoke of death of anything that might cause wars. She also said that these were merely warnings, and that she would use any forces necessary to stop all pain in this world._

_The great detective Light is currently looking into the case, and the girl has been identified. Her name is Miss Alice. However, that is the most he has been willing to give out._

* * *

_Wednesday, December 31th, 2008_

_Ne__w York Times_

_Half of all of the Japanese researchers and scientists died yesterday. Many people blamed Miss Alice, although there is no clear link between the two._

* * *

Light frowned. Chester nervously began twiddling his thumbs. Ever since he began working with Light, he had leanred that whenever Light frowned, it meant something bad.

"W-What is it, Light?"

"More super-natural crap." Light murmured, stroking his chin.

Chester bit his bottom lip. "Already? It's only been a week since the last thing..."

Light merely shrugged. "Oh, well."

Chester sighed. "What are we going to do, Light?"

Light frowned. "Go to the place where it's happening, of course."

Chester winced. "Not again..."

* * *

"Princess..." Daysin begged. "Please, just listen to me..."

She glared at him, but did not answer. Shina glanced between the two of them, slightly confused. After all... it had been nearly a week since they had all met up. Why was Malina still being mean to Daysin when he seemed so sorry and sad?

"Malina..." She began softly, but the younger girl turned to her, eyes flaming.

"What do you want?" Malina snapped. Shina winced.

"I was just wondering why you hated Daysin so..." Shina trailed off after seeing the look on the younger's face.

"Let's just say that he worked with Vaati, killed one of my two best friends, and broke my heart when it knew no true sorrow!" She snapped.

Shina blinked, startled, and glanced at Daysin. "You did that?"

Daysin nodded, but looked very sad. "I... I was... not smart... at... I just..."

"Big brother will never do anything like that again!" Sora exclaimed, grabbing Daysin's arm and looking up at him. "Right?"

Daysin sighed. "That's the worst part of it all. With me having to go back to being with Vaati in a couple of weeks, there will be no chance for me to be good again. I value my life and Sora's life way too much for that."

"Princess Malina has no time to listen to you whine!" Malina snorted. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to my tent to see Ceris!"

Daysin looked visibly wounded, and Shina couldn't blame him. Malina totally hated him now, and had a huge crush on Ceris. Meanwhile, Daysin was still head-over-heals for her, and felt his heart being constantly smashed into little tiny pieces. And, obviously, Malina didn't care.

"What did you do to her?" Shina asked softly. Daysin sighed, his eyes turning upward.

"To be honest, I danced with her on her thirteenth birthday, found out she was my worst enemy, tried to save her life from Vaati, got her lost in the woods, tied her to a tree, and then killed her horse." Daysin admitted.

"Wow, that's pretty bad. I can see why she's so mad at you," Shina murmured, stroking her chin lightly.

"Yeah, and... I just want her to smile at me once more." He answered quietly. "The first time we danced, she had such a radiant smile on her lips and her eyes sparkled like the ocean while the sun is setting. Now all she does is glare at me, and a sort of dullness has taken over the sparkle."

"You really... love her, don't you?" Shina asked hesitantly.

Daysin nodded. "Yes... I-I do."

Shina sighed. "I guessed as much. I hope you can learn a way not to love her anymore."

"I don't think there's anyway to stop loving someone." Daysin said, smiling tightly. "I think it's possible that you might be able to not think about them, or figuire out a way to make the heartache that you feel more numb, but stop loving them? No... I'm not so sure about that."

Shina frowned and nodded. "I think I understand. Do you mean-"

**"Good day, fools!" **Vaati's voice echoed through the camp. Almost instantly, everyone put their hands to their weapons. Ceris came out of the tent, his sword out.

Vaati chuckled lightly. **"How very interesting, indeed. You all became so frightened when I merely said good day."**

Marit snorted. "Frightened? Hardly. Merely aware of what you can do to us."

**"I see..." **Vaati murmured. **"Well, I wanted to teach you all a little lesson real quick."**

"And what's that?!" Ceris snorted.

**"To be nice to my new friend is all. Her name is Miss Alice."**

"Miss Alice?!" Malina said, bursting out of the tent.

**"Ah, yes. I had thought that you might have paid a little bit of attention when Riste died. You see, it's not really my fault he died. It's more Miss Alice's fault than mine."**

"Lair!" Malina hissed, balling up her fists. "You filthy liar! You have just as much to do with it as that girl does!"

Vaati chuckled. **"I might have instructed her to kill him within her dreams, but not much more. I'm sending you a present, by the way."**

"What do you-" Yuumei began, but from all of the shadows around came the shadow-creatures. However, these ones were different. One appeared to be dragon-like. Another looked to be a little girl. One seemed to be some sort of plant. Another looked like a skeleton.

**"Oh, did I forget to mention the fact that my new toys have been improved? Now they're twice as powerful, thanks to Miss Alice helping me. Do you have anything to say, Miss Alice? No? Ah, well. You'll all get to know each other soon."**

"You're a vile beast!" Malina said desperately. "I hate you Vaati! I hate you!"

For a little while, Vaati was silent. Finally, he spoke.

**"Go, my beasts. Rip them apart."**

The giant dragon attacked Marit and Sparrow, grabbing them with its sharp claws. A skeleton attacked Malina, who cried out and took a step back. It slashed at her arms with a small dagger that it held. Blood quickly began to flow in the battle field.

Daysin burnt the skeleton to a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes left. "Are you all right?" He demanded, grabbing her arm.

"I'm fine, now leave me alone!" Malina snapped.

He nodded, pain in his eyes. "Okay, but you better stay close to me-"

"I can take care of myself, you jerk!" Malina growled, freezing another shadow-creature that was coming towards them. Daysin nodded, wincing at her sharp tone.

_Oh, how I wish Vaati were dead!_

_On your right, Mally._

Malina threw a lightening blot at the lion-shaped shadow-beast. It was electrified, but quickly got back up and lunged at her. Malina threw it back, using her magic to make her stronger. She then bent down and picked up pieces of the ground, flinging them at various shadow-beasts.

She winced as she felt something hit her in the leg hard. She turned around to face whatever it was, her eyes flaming. It was a human-type of shadow-beast that had a sling. It threw another stone at Malina, and she fell to the ground, groaning. What happened to her? It was as though she no longer had any legs.

_Need some help?_

_What the heck happened to my legs?!_

_That shadow-beast can tell where your pressure points are, and hit them. _

_Oh my gosh, help me, Wisdom!_

_I thought as much._

Malina blinked as she felt an amazing amount of power rush through her. It was as though her entire body were on fire.

_What is this, Wisdom?_

_Hm? Oh, it's just a sample of my power._

_A sample?!_

_Yup. I'm pretty powerful, huh?_

_Wow._

Malina stood up and the shadow-beast with the sling took a step back, obviously surprised. She smirked. This was so freaking awesome.

Malina blew out from her magic, and felt her fire get thrown out. She was a fire-breathing girl. She torched the shadow-beast, until it was dead. Then she moved to the next. And the next. And the next. And the next. And the-well, you get the point.

To Malina's surprise, Ceris had already killed the shadow-dragon. He was currently helping Daysin protect Sora. To everyone's surprise, the battle was already over.

**"Hm? What's this? You've worn out your toys. Well... you can always play with your pets, right?"**

A loud thump came from behind Malina. She turned very slowly to see what was blocking out the sun and creating such a huge shadow. Almost instantly, she wished that she hadn't.

A large, black dragon towered over her. Its eyes were orange, and its claws were yellow and much too sharp for comfort. On the very end of its tail, there was a huge ball that had several spikes on it. Smoke spurted from its nose easily.

_Wow._

_You said it, Mally._

**A/N- HOORAY! I FINISHED THE CHAPTER! Now, R&R, no flames! (I have over twenty-five chapters on this! Whee!)**


	27. Dragon

**A/N- Thanks for da reviews, The-Saiyan-From-Hyrule, and darthritter86. **

**Disclaimer- I still don't own... why don't you people believe me, gosh dang it?!**

Light frowned. "Odd..." He murmured. "It's... almost as though..."

"What is it?" Chester asked nervously.

"Something is not right... in the air. Smells like something is burning."

"Oh, is that it?" Chester sighed with relief and Light's frown got even larger.

"No." Light said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Chester asked, once again confused by the number one detective.

"Don't take anything for granted, Chester. I learned that the hard way." Light gave a bitter laugh. "My parents are gone now because of my idiocy and easy trusting of friends."

Chester squirmed uncomfortably. After all, it was Light's best friend who had betrayed him the most. Who was to say that he didn't trust Chester either?

"Hm... it doesn't smell like regular fire..." Light murmured, taking another bite of the Popsicle that he was holding. "Smells a bit like... like... a camp-fire. But... like burning flesh at the same time."

"How can you even smell these things, Light?" Chester asked, confused. "I don't smell anything."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Light asked, frowning. "Due to my exponential ways in growth of mind, my mind became connected with the world beyond this one. I can sense almost anything, while you regular humans have a much harder time. Which basically means, I have a good nose, ears, and eyes."

"Ah." Chester mumbled.

"Did you find any evidence?" Light asked.

"Er... no. But... Kichi wants to talk to you..." He managed. "She says that she has some things to talk to you about..."

Light groaned. Kichi was a Japanese pop star who was absolutely in love with Light. She was the kind of girl that you would expect to see in one of those humor/romance mangas.

"Why do I have to?" Light groaned. "How I wish I had a girlfriend."

"Light, Kichi is really sweet, rich, and pretty. You should be proud that she likes you." Chester said.

Light glared at his friend. "No. I'm not proud. Pride is not something I'd like to have, thank you. It reads in the Bible that the people who were prideful fell. Humble ones are the ones who are good."

Chester stared at him. "You've read the Bible?"

"Yes. To me, it's a history book. That's all." Light said flatly.

"So, are you going to go meet her? Kichi usually has some good information for us. She's good at acting." Chester said.

"I suppose..." Light murmured. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this case, no matter what."

Chester nodded. "What do you suppose is going on?"

"Hm... I know that it's not like Jin. I suppose that it doesn't even have to do with gods. But another world that doesn't include aliens, but humans just like us...? Yes. Another world. People from that world. That's what I believe. What about you?"

"I have no clue," Chester laughed. "Honestly, I don't know how I managed to be the world's number one detective's assistant."

"I bet it was because your funny," Light murmured.

"I'm funny?"

"Oh, yes. Now, shall we get some more ice cream?"

Chester nodded, frowning slightly. "But you really are going to see Kichi, right?"

Light sighed. "I guess..."

"Can I come with you?"

Light stared curiously at him. "Why?"

Chester blushed a little and gave a small cough. "Er..."

"I guessed." Light said rolling his eyes. "Fine."

"Thanks."

* * *

Malina took a step back, shock obvious in her eyes. The dragon was glaring down at her with its dull orange eyes. It took a step forward, snarling slightly.

Daysin stepped in front of her, a slight frown on his face. Malina glared at him. She didn't need _his _help. She could handle this stupid, fat, giant dragon on her own, thank you.

Ceris stepped in front of her, too, and suddenly Malina couldn't handle this dragon on her own and she needed Ceris's help. He gave her a quick smile, and then gave Daysin one, too. Daysin nodded and grinned. What the heck was with them?

Shina grabbed Malina's hand and took a few steps back. "This dragon might be too much for all of us to take, Malina. If push comes to shove, you, Yuumei, and Sora need to get the heck out of here. That way we'll still have at least a slight chance at defeating Vaati." She gave Malina a forceful look. "Okay?"

Malina hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."

Shina pushed her to over behind a tree, where Sora also sat, awaiting for the battle to be over. Sora quickly grabbed Malina's hand, biting her bottom lip. Malina tried to give the younger girl a comforting nod, but it came out as more of a fearful shake of head than anything.

Malina watched, over her shoulder, the battle that was going on. It looked like that dragon was winning and the battle had just began. Sparrow was in a tree, (_How did he get there?? _Malina wondered) shooting arrows at the dragon's head. Daysin was casting a protective barrier around Yuumei, Ceris, and himself. Marit was behind a tree, huffing heavily. The dragon, however, was spitting fire everywhere, setting both trees and horses on fire. Any horses that were not already dead, were running away in a panic.

"Stupid horses..." Malina heard Marit snort. He took out his axe, and ran to the protective barrier. Daysin let him in, and then began to speak quietly with the other three. However, due to the fact that they were more than twenty meters away, Malina couldn't hear them.

Sparrow, however, was as busy as a little bee. He was hanging on a branch upside down, and shooting arrows upside down. Malina didn't even know that he could shoot arrows upside down. His face was in utter concentration, eyes narrowed.

One of the arrows hit the dragon in the eye. The dragon, as soon as the arrow hit it, began screeching and waving its head crazily. It clawed at its face, trying to dislodge the arrow that seemed so small against the fifty-foot-tall dragon. Blood slowly began to mix with tears that came from the dragon.

Sparrow jumped off the tree and hid behind a close rock, wincing as the red-hot rock touched his back. While the dragon was flailing around and Sparrow was hiding behind a rock, Yuumei jumped out of the shield and ran around the dragon, hitting its tail, knocking off a few spikes from its tail. The dragon wailed some more, and threw its tail around, hitting Yuumei into a near-by tree. As she made impact against the tree, blood began dripping from both her nose and mouth. She quickly paled and obviously fainted.

Malina winced and touched her head gently. Ugh, it felt like she had just been hit by a horse. What happened? She touched under her nose and blinked as blood smeared onto her finger. An odd, metallic flavor washed through her mouth. Blood. Why was she bleeding when Yuumei was, just the same...?

_Malina?_

Malina blinked. It was Courage. What could he want? She winced after thinking these things. Ugh... it hurt so bad...

_Wh-what is it...?_

_Talk to Sora real quick. She can help you._

_O-Okay..._

"So-Sora?" Malina mumbled, glancing at the younger girl who seemed to just notice the blood.

"Eek! Princess!" Sora squealed. "A-are you okay?! Oh my gosh, if this happened to you, then what about Yuumei?"

"What are you talking about?" Malina asked, starting to feel lightheaded. Was everything starting to spin, or was it just her?

"She... told me not to tell you. But anything that happens to you, happens to her." Sora said softly, gently wiping away the blood that had been dripping down Malina's chin. "Anyway, I have to treat these wounds really fast otherwise... you and her might not make it."

Malina leaned against the tree, feeling exhausted. Why did it feel like the world was spinning, spinning, spinning? Couldn't it just stop...?

Dark.

It was getting dark. Why? Why couldn't it be brighter? Ugh. Malina hated darkness.

"Malina!?" Sora called, her voice sounding panicked and far away. "Malina, hold on! Malina!"

Malina closed her eyes. Sora was too far away. She couldn't hear her any more, and nor could she see her. It was too dark.

Malina allowed the darkness to envelope her.

* * *

Sora felt even more panicked. She touched Malina's brow, closing her eyes, praying to the Goddesses to spare their lives. How could they win if Malina and Yuumei died? Sora closed her eyes and began to pray even harder, begging.

A soft voice came within her mind, much to Sora's surprise. _Dear child... thine life is my love. Thou art chosen and exalted among all; and because of this, thou shalt endure hardship. But know at the least one thing, my child: thou art to be the highest and most exalted, and thine power shalt be great._

"Who are you?" Sora asked, her voice quavering.

_Be at ease, dear one, _Another voice said softly. _Thou art to be the light of this world; a standard among the nations; a princess of peace; a god among humans._

"Why?" Sora asked, confusion clear in her voice. "I'm no one special."

_If ye believes that, thou art most surely wrong; no single person that wast created by our hands is no one, for we would not allow someone who is not important to come unto this world._

"How do I help my friends?" Sora asked, standing up slowly.

_Thou hast prayed unto us with steadfastness and surety, and because of thine true belief that we shalt help thee, we shalt do anything possible to help thee. Now, be thou free of thine afflictions, dear child._

"What do you mean, O Goddesses?" Sora asked, respect thick in her voice.

_Go to the beast, and use the power we have given thee; for thine light must shine. Do so, dear child, and help the world be free from its darkness._

Sora nodded and whispered, "Okay... I will..."

_Go, child. Go._

Sora glanced around the tree, biting her bottom lip. She was only eleven years old. Most girls at that age didn't have to deal with having to kill dragons and such. Most of them just worried about boys and what they were going to do for work that day.

"Please stay with me, O Goddesses," Sora whispered, crossing her fingers. She then ran out to meet the dragon.

* * *

Ceris winced and fell back to the shield. Blood was dripping down his cheek where the dragon had grazed him with its claw. It was obviously going to leave a scar, which rather annoyed Ceris because his face had been rather handsome before.

"Are you okay?!" Daysin demanded. Ceris gave a quick nod.

"Yeah. It's nothing too bad. How are the others holding up?"

Daysin gave a few glances around before answering. "Well, Marit's running from tree to tree, cursing all the while because his axe melted under the dragon's fire. Yuumei doesn't look too good, though. Sparrow's running out of arrows, unless he doesn't already not have any."

Ceris nodded, breathing deeply. "Got any brilliant ideas?"

Daysin shook his head. "I got nothing. Dragons usually aren't very well affected by magic, and this one seems to be especially powerful."

Ceris gave a little huff. "So, this is the best you can do?"

Daysin nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry. I can't think of anything else. I never finished up learning about magic."

"Well, you wouldn't be on our team now, would you?" Ceris said, giving a quick grin.

"Yeah," Daysin said, giving a quick nod. "I suppose so. Has Courage got any ideas?"

_Well? Do ya?_

_... Not... really..._

_Oh, you're so helpful._

"Courage has no clue as to what to do." Ceris said flatly. Daysin groaned.

_Hey, I didn't say that!_

_What do you mean?_

_Well... you'll see what's going to happen when you see it._

_What?_

"What's going on?" Daysin asked, frowning slightly.

"Apparently something's gonna happen, but Courage isn't willing to let me in on the secret."

"Lovely." Daysin muttered.

"I know." Was all Ceris said in answer.

"Hey, you big stupid dragon! Come and get me!" Ceris blinked and slowly turned around. Sora was standing a few meters away, waving her arms wildly.

"Sora!" Daysin exclaimed, fear obvious in his voice. "What in the world are you doing?!"

"Just trust me!" She called back. "Now, you dumb dragon, listen to me! La la la la la laaaa!"

Ceris winced. Who knew that anyone could hit that high of notes?! Well, obviously Sora could.

The dragon, who had better hearing than any of them, screeched out in pain. It glared at her, baring its teeth. It then roared, tromping over to the eleven-year-old.

Sora suddenly seemed much too unsure of herself for Ceris's comfort, so he ran over to her, grabbing her by her waist and taking her to Daysin. "What the crap was that, you idiot?!" He demanded the moment that they were safe.

"The Goddesses told me to do it!" She proclaimed, pouting slightly.

"I don't flippin' care if the Hero of Time told you to do it," Daysin snapped. "I don't want you to get hurt! Why didn't you just stay with Malina?!"

"She... er... fell out of a tree." Sora said blankly.

"Wha?" Ceris asked, confused.

"It doesn't matter!" Sora snorted. "The Goddesses would have protected me! They told me that they would!"

_She's right, Ceris._

_What do you mean, Courage?_

_She would have been fine without you._

_Oh, I feel so loved!_

_You're intentions were good, but the whole thing was stupid. Because of you, someone could get hurt._

_What the heck?! You're not making me feel any better!_

_Just tell her to sing._

_Wha?_

_Just do it, you idiot!_

_Fine, jeez. No need to get testy._

"Listen, according to Courage, you should do it." Ceris said, huffing out a deep breath. "I don't like the idea, but I guess you ought to."

Sora stuck out her tongue. "Told you so!"

Daysin frowned. "I'm not letting my little sister go out into that danger. It's not right."

Ceris rolled his eyes. "Well, she's gonna, so get used to the idea."

Sora nodded, grinning. "Yeah, big bro. I'd best get going to do whatever it is that I'm going to do."

"Wait-" Daysin began, but Sora ran out of the shield, cutting him off. He watched after her, both regret and sadness in his eyes. Would she be all right? Ceris found it a little bit too easy to read the seventeen-year-old.

"That's just Sora." Ceris said softly. "Don't worry about her too much."

Daysin chuckled halfheartedly. "Oh, don't worry. I'll worry about her every waking moment of my life."

* * *

Sora sighed. "What am I supposed to do?!" She demanded no one in particular as she jogged over to the giant beast that some people called a dragon.

_Do not feel fear, dear child. Listen to the wisdom of the Goddess Nayru._

_It is a beautiful world, dear child. Ye shalt feel that more than ever soon. I can promise that to thee._

Sora almost wanted to scream, "Can't you people speak normal Hylian, and not some crazy riddle thing?!" Of course, though, she did not.

"Hey, you big stupid-" Sora began, but quickly stopped herself. A beautiful world, huh? Maybe... just maybe... that meant...

"Excuse me!" Sora called, gently touching one of the scales of the dragon. "You beautiful, wonderful creature! I was wonder why you were destroying all of these beautiful parts of this amazing world? Why not just leave them alone?"

The dragon seemed incredulous. After all, it was a huge dragon that was fierce and cruel, and now a small girl had just walked up to it and asked why it did that.

_"What in the world do you mean, foolish child?!" _The dragon snapped. Oddly enough, the fact that the dragon could talk wasn't really a surprise to Sora. She had sort of expected it for some reason.

"I want to know why you're killing all of the plants and animals and stuff." Sora said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The dragon seemed even more confused, but less angry. _"Why would you want to know that?"_

"Because I don't like it when you kill stuff. So I want to know why you're doing it." Sora said, her eyes soft on the large dragon.

_"That... that man took my child." _The dragon said. _"He said that if I wanted my child back, I would have to kill you."_

"Oh." Sora said, sounding slightly put out. "Really?"

The dragon nodded. _"It is true. Otherwise, I would be caring for my dear child."_

"Are you the baby's mommy, then?" Sora asked.

The she-dragon nodded, more calm than ever. _"Oh, yes. I am."_

Sora smiled innocently. "Is your baby pretty?"

_"Oh, yes..." _The dragon murmured, a look of pure pleasure coming over her face. _"His name is Valoo. He's a wonderful, rich shade of red and is so mild tempered... I couldn't have asked for a better child." _Her eyes darkened. _"But that man... that witch-boy... took him away. He said he would kill my child."_

"That's not good." Sora stated.

_"No, it's not." _The dragon agreed sadly. _"And this is why I must kill you. Otherwise..."_

"Can I know your name?" Sora asked sweetly.

_"Name?" _The dragon asked blankly. _"I have no name. You humans over-label things, anyway. We dragons... usually do not have names. Valoo is an exception."_

"How do you keep track of everything, then?" Sora asked.

_"We... I... I'm not quite sure. But if we say one thing, then everyone who is a dragon knows what I'm talking about."_

"Oh." Sora said. "But what about-"

_"Child, is there something wrong with you?" _The dragon asked. _"You seem so different from other humans."_

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

The dragon drew her head close to Sora's face, squinting her eyes. She blew a small flame around the young girl, just enough to light her up. After doing so, the dragon took a step back, obviously surprised and frightened.

_"Human, you have neither the smell of humans on you nor a shadow! What in the world are you?!"_

"Hm?" Sora said blankly. "Oh, you mean... right. I'm only half-Hylian. The other half of me is from Areu."

The dragon took a step back, then bowed before her, surprising the girl. _"You... you are the Princess of Dragons..."_

This surprised Sora. "What?"

_"The Princess of Dragons, as legend says, shall be half of the color, half of the absence. She shall have all of the powers of the dragons, but only few will believe in her. Her powers will extend far and wide, and she shall not be just a child of half. She shall be a child of the Goddesses, destined to save the world by leaving it."_

Again, Sora was surprised. "What?"

_"You are my savior." _The girl-dragon said softly. _"You are the one who can save the dying breed of dragons and Hylians alike."_

"Oh." That was all she could say.

_"May I... perhaps... spread the word of your coming unto the world?" _The dragon asked, sounding suddenly nervous.

"Uh, sure." Sora said. "But... does this mean that you're not going to kill us?"

The dragon looked mortified. _"Kill you?! That would be as you trying to kill a Goddess! Never shalt I."_

"Do you have any healing powers?" Sora asked.

_"Oh, yes,__ Milady." _The dragon answered fervently.

"Um..." Sora said, being completely unused to being called 'milady.' "C-Can you help my friend, then?"

_"I would do anything for you, Milady." _The dragon said.

"Okay, then. See over there?" Sora said, pointing to Yuumei. "She's the Queen of Shadows and Reflections. Can you help her?"

_"Yes, Milady." _The dragon answered, already walking over to the fainted Queen. The dragon lightly touched her nose to Yuumei's neck, and a bright light erupted from the both of them, making it too hard for Sora to see either of them. When the light finally passed, Sora saw that Yuumei was healed completely. However, she still appeared to be out cold.

"Wow. Thanks." Sora said blankly.

_"I would die for you, Milady," _The dragon said softly.

"I'd rather you not." Sora said flatly. "Now, I want you to have a name. Can I give you one?"

The she-dragon nodded, looking very excited. _"Milady, it would be a great honor!"_

"Hm..." Sora said, frowning. "What would be a good name for you...?"

For quite a while Sora thought. However, while she was doing this, Ceris and Daysin were talking, slightly shocked.

"She's okay." Daysin said blankly.

"Y-Yeah, I guess that she is." Ceris answered.

"What do you suppose that she said to the dragon that made it stop attacking?" Daysin asked.

"Who knows?" Ceris answered.

"I'm not sure, either." Sparrow murmured, causing both boys to jump.

"Cripes, where did you come from?!" Daysin demanded.

"We just walked over to you two because the dragon wasn't attacking and Daysin took down the shield," Marit said, shrugging. "We were wondering what was going on."

"Sora made the dragon stop killing us," Ceris said.

"Let's go see what's going on." Marit answered, beginning to walk over to the small girl and the large dragon.

"What a revolutionary idea!" Daysin exclaimed, sarcasm dripping off his voice. "Going to see what's going on! Who'd have thought of it!"

"You keep up that wisecracking," Marit said over his shoulder, "And I'll have you with a bunch of broken limbs."

Ceris chuckled. "You just got dissed by an old man, Day. Ouch."

"I've got it!" They heard Sora exclaim. "You're name will be Celebrate!"

_"Celebrate?" _The dragon answered. _"What a sweet name. I'm unsure if I deserve it, Milady."_

"Excuse me!" Daysin called, waving. "We were kind of wondering why nobody's dead and nobody's fighting, ya see!"

Celebrate glanced at them, a slight frown coming on her face. Sora lightly touched her claw, and the giant dragon gained a look of pure pleasure.

"I'm some sort of Princess." Sora said.

"Wha?" Daysin answered blankly.

"I'm, like, the Princess of Dragons, or something along those lines."

"Wait, since we're brother and sister, does that mean that I'm a Prince?!" Daysin exclaimed.

_"You are the Great Sea?!" _Celebrate demanded.

"What the crap is that?" Daysin asked blankly.

_"The Great Sea is the one who is brother to the Princess of Dragons. He has powers of unbelief, and is a Master of Magics."_

"I dropped out of magic training. Can I still be the Sea Guy or whatever?" Daysin asked.

_"Yes, Milord. Milady?" _Celebrate asked, turning to Sora.

"Uh, yeah?"

_"Will you, perhaps, save my child from the terrible fate that he faces?" _The large she-dragon murmured.

"I'll do my best." Sora answered confidently.

_"Milord, the Great Sea, take care of the Princess, or I will hold you personally responsible." _Celebrate growled at Daysin.

"Hey, she may be a Princess or whatever, but she's my sister!" Daysin exclaimed. "I would never let anything happen to her!"

Celebrate nodded, satisfied. _"Then I must go spread the word of the coming of the Princess of Dragons. This will be great news to her people."_

"Okay, have fun!" Sora called, smiling and waving.

Celebrate gently smiled at the young girl. _"Thank you, Milady. Now, I must go."_

About a second after Celebrate took off into the sky, Sora spoke. "Now I just have one question."

"What's that?" Daysin asked.

"How are we supposed to explain this to Malina and Yuumei?"

"Oh." He answered. "That could be... interesting."

"Hey!" Ceris exclaimed, looking around. "Where'd Shina go?!"

"I'm over here!" Everyone looked up. There Shina was, about a hundred meters away, waving at them.

"What are you doing way over there?" Marit called.

"I was running away because I didn't want to die!" Shina answered while jogging over to them.

Everyone in the group besides Sora groaned. "That's okay!" Sora called instead. "You didn't miss much! Me and Daysin just became royalty is all!"

* * *

"Hm..." Vaati murmured.

"What is it?" Miss Alice answered.

"That little brat... my cousin... is the Princess of Dragons."

"I don't follow."

Vaati sighed. "The Princess of Dragons has absolute control over any dragon. She's very powerful, and, in all of the legends, she dies to save her dragons. It's rather sad, really. I always thought that it was nothing more than a story, but I guess it's real."

"What's the whole story?" She asked.

"Born in light and darkness, in color and nothing, the Princess of Dragons is alone, the only one of herself. She, due to these facts, is absolutely powerful. She knows how to control any dragon that happens to come her way, being that dragons are born in neither darkness nor light as well."

"Amazing."

"Quite." Vaati agreed. "But a dark dragon arises in the most common of the stories, and threatens to kill all of the dragons. So, the Princess gives her life to save all of the dragons. That's pretty much how the story goes."

"So do you think that's how she'll die?"

Vaati chuckled. "Only if I'm the dark dragon."

**A/N- ;P R&R! Oh, and check out my new homepage! Heh heh. No flames.**


	28. Odd Thoughts

**A/N- Thanks for the reviewers... ugh. I'm sorry. My heart so hasn't been into writing this, like, at all... mgnanandg...  
**

**Disclaimer- Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't own it.**

Shina looked slowly up, glancing at everyone. No one was speaking. Which was hardly a rarity in this circumstance. Almost at every moment of the day, except when Sora needed to talk to herself because she needed the company, there was no speaking between the group.

Shina glanced at Malina, who was absently messing with her shoes-which was slightly odd considering the young princess usually didn't play with her feet due to the fact that Sora had told her a "scary story" about feet and what it can do to you. Anyway, back to the point.

Malina was the Princess of Hyrule, daughter of Princess Zelda, one of the greatest Princesses to be around, and Link, the Hero of Time. She was beautiful and had powers beyond belief; she also had been chosen by a great power who was called Wisdom. Her eyes looked like those of an adult's, even if she was only thirteen-and-a-half. Often now, she would be found biting her fingers or absently raking her long fingernails over her pale skin, almost forcing them to bleed.

Then there was Marit, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, warlords of all time. He was also fairly useful when he had an axe within his reach. And, if not, he had a very hard chest and head. He could just headbutt people out of the way and use his chest as some odd sort of shield. He had a large, grizzly beard by this point, but, even so, his eyes seemed to twinkle more than they ever had. He obviously enjoyed the action more than any of the others did.

Sparrow, Marit's son sat next to his father. He was absently carving something out of a small piece of wood. He was almost as clever as his father, but had gained more of his mother's slimness than anything. His perfection in arrows was amazing, best in the land. He was wearing a small beard by now, and looked older than his twenty-three years. His pale, slim fingers seemed to be tighter on the knife than anything, as though nothing could tear it away from him in these times of hardship.

Next to him sat Yuumei, Queen of Areu and the Mirrors. A warm and slightly naive woman usually, in the past few months she had turned into a somber and sober woman with dark circles under her even darker eyes. Her sabre was hooked firmly to her belt, somewhere she usually had not kept it before. A bandage covered her forehead where she had hit it two days ago. Even with all these dark things that were going on, she still managed to smile at Sparrow, whom she obviously fancied him quite a bit.

Next to Yuumei sat Shina. Shina hadn't quite realized it, but she had changed quite a bit in the past six months as well. Her avid book reading had suddenly stopped as she realized her life was much more important to her than the books were. Just yesterday, she had cut her hair very short, almost to the point that she appeared to be a boy. Before, she had a subconscious crush on Ceris, but now she was very much crushing on their soon-to-be enemy. She no longer wore bright colors, preferring earthy browns... or anything they could get their hands on. Finally, she now used small throwing knives that she had managed to find, and not just her hands.

Next to the almost-eighteen-year-old sat Sora, an eleven-year-old that had been born in this world and turned out to be the Princess of Dragons. Her innocence had been shattered the moment she had decided to come to the Realm of Light to meet her big brother. She had learned much too many things during this time... and it was obvious that she yearned the days when she was small and Yuumei would just hold her softly.

Beside Sora sat her older brother, Daysin. Over the past months, he had been hurt not physically as much as emotionally. His eyes constantly were flickering between red and purple, insecurity at its fullest. His lips would obviously be horribly scarred due to his biting. Even as no one else said anything, his silence was the worst; his silence was awkward and painful for everyone. With the learning of his true name, Great Sea, had come even more confusion. He had learned that he was so many things, and, worse still, Malina had refused to speak to him still.

Finally, Ceris was standing, leaning against a tree and staring into the fire. His job was to be Courage, and take care of Malina, who was very hateful of any help that he offered at the current moment. He seemed to be daydreaming constantly, not to be awakened. The starts of a beard were beginning to show on his face. In a few months, he would, after all, be considered a man. His journey had made him almost no different than he had been in the beginning of all this. Even so, his obvious love for Malina was making everyone feel even more awkward than they already were.

"Hey, Kai, what do you think about this one?" Sora asked, pretending to hand her imaginary friend something. "I know, it is good isn't it? I love sweets. Hm? You think that it would taste better with raisins? I don't like raisins. Yeah, I miss home, too, Kai."

"Would you please be quiet?!" Marit snapped at the younger girl. "Some of us are trying to go to sleep around here because they can't think of a stupid plan to help us save this idiotic world! I feel like the world is weighing down on my shoulders, and let me tell you, it's not as light as a feather!"

"Don't be mean to me!" Sora cried. "I hate it when people are mean to me!"

"Marit," Yuumei said patiently. "I know that you're tired and all, but we all are. These past few months haven't been exactly the most beautiful years of our lives either. Please, if you will, just try to be kinder to her. She's only eleven."

Marit snorted but did not say anything. Shina sighed and closed her eyes. Even listening to the two of them fight would have been worth hearing some sort of conversation. However, that was obviously not going to happen any time soon.

"We need to figure something out so we can kill Vaati..." Malina whispered, scratching her arms again. Almost absently, Marit grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop.

"Shut up..." He muttered. "That's the only thing that you've said for two days now... what are you going to do about it?"

Malina stared forward, not answering. Shina was fairly concerned about both Daysin and Malina. They both seemed to be in some sort of reverie that neither could awaken from. Almost like a nightmare that you can't wake up from. It was rather disconcerting.

"We have to defeat Vaati somehow. Somehow we just have to defeat him..." Malina whispered. She started scratching again, but no one seemed to care enough by this point to stop her.

Shina sighed, clutching her arm and biting her bottom lip tightly. The world seemed to be spinning much too fast for anyone's liking. It was almost as though someone were trying to kill them all just by moving them through the evil thing that people call time. It seemed almost cruel.

These thoughts were odd.

* * *

Spinning.

Spinning.

Spinning.

Why...?

Why was it...

All spinning?

Malina asked herself this.

It felt like she was lost.

Gone.

But... where?

Black.

Blue.

Red.

These were the only colors she could see.

Gone.

Wiped.

That's what it felt like to her.

... blood?

Was she bleeding?

Why?

It seemed distant to her.

Odd.

Funny.

Dramatic.

It seemed like a far-off memory.

Something she didn't want to remember.

How annoying.

Malina... huh?

That was her name?

Why?

It seemed silly.

Like the blood.

Huh.

These thoughts were odd.

* * *

Vaati softly smirked. Their team was falling apart at the seams. The Princess was obviously completely lost. It was as though she had finally realized what a grave situation she happened to be in. To Vaati, it seemed rather humorous.

_What are we going to do now?_

"What do you mean, Power?" Vaati asked in a murmured tone, twirling his ring around in his finger.

_What is the next part of your grand old plan?_

"That's simple," Vaati answered, standing up. "Wait for the Dragon Princess to come here and destroy her. Both Yuumei and Daysin will be shattered. Malina has already lost her mind somehow. Ceris will be my only real problem. The others are easy pickings."

_Vaati... don't you feel any shame at killing your own cousin?_

Vaati shook his head angrily. "Why in the world would I feel any guilt or shame at killing her? It makes no difference who I kill. Darkness is darkness. Light is light. It's as simple as that, Power."

Power did not answer the man. Vaati walked over to his bed and took out the knife. It was the same knife that Princess Zelda had used to murder herself. Stained with blood from both people, it was a rust red.

He silently lifted up his sleeve and gently sliced across it. Blood slowly oozed from the slash, staining his white skin. Vaati frowned, growling slightly. The cut wasn't deep enough to satisfy him. Not nearly so. He needed more than just that...

Vaati slashed even deeper, both anger and sadness in his eyes. To make his life seem better, he needed the help of a knife. How terribly sad... and pathetic.

These thoughts were odd.

* * *

Liz glanced up and frowned. Light was busily packing to go to Japan to speak with some people... that included a few scientists who lived there and knew the people that had died by Miss Alice. It was terribly annoying to be traveling everywhere all the time.

_Then again, _she thought to herself, _it's better than what my life used to be like._

"Liz," Light called, glancing at her. "Are you all packed?"

Liz nodded and asked, "Robert, what do you think is going on around here?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. That's why it's called a mystery."

"You're so helpful!" Liz growled sarcastically.

Liz, personally, had a few thoughts on it, and much more than one question. Such as, who was Miss Alice? What was going on? How could she kill people? How old was she? Were they stepping into something larger than just themselves?

"I'm ready!" Chester announced, striding into the room. "You guys ready?"

While Liz nodded, Light shook his head. "No, I've still got to pack a few things. And we need to stop by the flower shop so I can get a rose for Kichi."

Liz scowled. What was so great about this Kichi girl? He had been talking about her nonstop for the past few days, explaining about how she was a J-pop star, and she had a huge crush on him and blah blah blah... Liz hated this girl, and they hadn't even met yet.

"Hurry up, or we'll miss our flight!" Chester exclaimed. "And the taxi is ready, too!"

"Whatever, _Eric_," Light snarled.

Liz rolled her eyes, sighing. Those two could go on for hours and hours, talking about meaningless things like chocolate and cheese, and, rather suddenly, they could begin talking about important things, like how Light's parents died, or who killed them, or even something like her...

Liz glowered at herself, grabbing her heavy suitcase. This was no time to be giggling over Light like some school-girl. Now was the time to be serious and try to help figure out this latest mystery. The mystery of Miss Alice.

"Where's my iPod?!" The "great" Detective Light cried. "Did you steal it again, Cheesecake?!"

"Don't call me that," Chester growled.

"You guys, can we please just hurry up?" Liz complained. "This is my first time going out of Great Britain, and I don't want to miss our bloody flight."

"Right, right..." Light muttered, and then blinked, taking his iPod out of his pocket. "Oh. Is that were it went?"

"Apology!" Chester cried.

"Focus, squirts," Liz muttered, snapping in front of their eyes. Chester blinked, slightly dazed, but Light had no apparent reaction to it.

Liz sighed, glaring at the two of them as they finally exited the hotel room. It wasn't as though this were anything new, but it was certainly annoying. Neither of them could focus on anything for more than two seconds. Well, Light could focus on anything with twenty or more grams of sugar in it, and Chester certainly could focus on Kichi.

As they went down the elevator, Liz was amazed at the turn her life had taken. Just three weeks ago, she was an average sixteen-year-old English girl that went to a private school and had troubling affairs happening at home. Now she was working with the world's number one detective. How strange.

She glanced slowly at Light, who was bobbing his head absently to his music. He was a boy that most girls thought about in their daydreams. He was tall, had auburn hair, and warm blue eyes. He was eighteen, but looked slightly younger. He was amazingly smart, and could be as sweet as his sugar at times.

Light blinked and caught her eye, taking out one of his buds. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Liz felt her face burn bright red. "I-it's nothing..."

These thoughts were odd.

* * *

Miss Alice glanced up slowly. Her red eyes were hidden behind thick, thick glasses. She wore a large coat, a scarf, a plaid skirt, a white button-up blouse, high socks, and black shoes. She held several text-books, and pencils. Her long, dark hair had been released from its usual pigtails.

As usual, she was waiting for someone. To be precise, she was waiting for Detective Light and his buffoons to pass by.

And there they were, with the "great detective" in the middle.

"Shut up, Rob!" The eldest one snapped. However, he looked no older than twenty-five at the very eldest.

"Why?" The younger man asked teasingly, obviously enjoying himself. Miss Alice felt her face turn a little pinker upon seeing him. This "Detective Light" was a truly beautiful person... if only in appearance. However, this was no time to be thinking about that.

"Huh, Mr. Cheesecake?" The younger man asked, still teasing.

"I said shut up!" The elder snapped.

"You two are so immature..." Murmured a cute, blond teen, who was speedily getting in front of them.

"Immature?! Me?!" Light cried. "Honestly, Leslie, I thought that you thought that I was dashing and handsome and mature and charming and wonderful and strong and prince-like and sweet and cute and funny and lovely and amazing and witty and-"

"Yeah," The girl said sarcastically, her voice fading into the distance as they continued on. "Just like I think of Eric!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" The elder man demanded. The younger laughed and said something, but he was too far away for Miss Alice to hear.

Miss Alice sighed, her breath making a small cloud in front of her face. "Vaati..." She whispered softly. "Vaati... come out, come out whever you are..."

A man stepped foreward from behind the fourteen-year-old, wearing a large, tan overcoat. Vaati. He glanced at a watch on his left hand, as though he were afraid that he was going to be late for something important.

"I'm ready," Miss Alice whispered.

Vaati cocked an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Light... Malina..." Miss Alice closed her eyes as she muttered. "Prepare for a different world than you're used to."

"I like the sound of that," Vaati replied.

These thoughts were odd.

But Miss Alice liked them, strangely enough.

**A/N- That was such a filler chapter that it wasn't even funny. Seriously. That's how much I've been floundering in this story. I thought that the last part was all right, though, because it had some basicness to it... or something. Either way, it made more sense.**

**R&R, no flames.  
**


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